Veszprém and Barça secure top positions

• thanks to ten goals of Czech shooter Tomas Piroch and 14 saves of Icelandic goalkeeper Viktor Hallgrimsson, Orlen Wisla Plock caused another surprise against Berlin and have their fate to qualify for the play-offs in their hands
• Plock’s victory also means that Fredericia are out of the race for the play-offs now, being five points below the Polish side, which fights with Eurofarm Pelister for the ticket to the next stage
  the Macedonian champions are equal with Plock on eight points after winning a true thriller against Dinamo
• in the MOTW, Veszprém profited again from the fire power of their French stars Hugo Descat and Ludovic Fabregas to beat Sporting after a real thriller
• Gasper Marguc decided the MOTW with a penalty goal in the penultmate minute
• Kielce are out of the top six in group B for the first time in this season after their defeat at Barcelona

GROUP A
Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) vs Füchse Berlin (GER) 32:27 (19:11)

What is the secret behind Orlen Wisla Plock’s international resurgence over the winter break? After their historic 31:28 win in Paris, the Polish champions followed up with another impressive victory, overpowering Füchse Berlin in the first half and securing a well-deserved win.

Once again, the key players were Czech sharpshooter Tomas Piroch, who netted 10 goals from 13 attempts, and Icelandic goalkeeper Viktor Hallgrimsson, who saved 41% of Füchse’s shots, finishing with 14 crucial saves. Berlin, known for their attacking firepower, struggled early, managing just six goals in the first 19 minutes, while Plock surged ahead 12:6, eventually stretching their lead to eight goals at half-time.

Although the Foxes improved their attacking efficiency in the second half and reduced the deficit, Plock’s victory was never in doubt. With four points to start 2025, Orlen Wisla Plock solidified sixth place in the standings with eight points. Meanwhile, Berlin missed a golden opportunity to overtake Sporting CP and match second-placed Paris, but they still have a chance to secure a direct quarter-final spot.

MOTW: One Veszprém HC (HUN) vs Sporting CP (POR) 33:32 (16:17)

A penalty goal by Gasper Marguc, 61 seconds before the final buzzer, sealed an intense, high-quality Match of the Week in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League. Sporting’s Orri Freyr Þorkelsson had a chance to equalise but missed, securing Veszprém’s 11th victory in 12 group matches and confirming them as group winners. Meanwhile, Sporting, Paris, and Berlin remain locked in a battle for the second direct quarter-final ticket.

Hugo Descat (8 goals) and Ludovic Fabregas (7 goals) combined for 15 goals for Veszprém, while Sporting’s goalkeeper André Kristensen stood out with 14 crucial saves. Þorkelsson and Martim Costa each netted eight goals for the Portuguese champions, who dominated early, leading by four goals multiple times before half-time.

Just before the break the referee Jesper Madsen collapsed and had to be carried out of the arena on a stretcher. His colleague Mads Hansen had to officiate the remainder of the game alone. Fortunately, after a health check, Madsen is reported to be in stable condition and is expected to recover fully.

Driven by roaring home support, Veszprém gradually found their rhythm but the outcome remained uncertain until the final moments. Martim Costa’s last-minute equaliser (32:32) kept the tension high, but Marguc’s sixth and final goal clinched the victory for Veszprém.

HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD) vs Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) 25:24 (12:13)

In a defensive battle full of twists, HC Eurofarm Pelister edged Dinamo București in a tense, low-scoring affair.

For the final 42 minutes, neither team led by more than two goals. In the last 14 minutes, the gap never exceeded one goal, making for a thrilling finish. The game-winning strike came three minutes before the final whistle, courtesy of Bitola’s Domen Tajnik.

Dinamo missed three crucial late chances, with Thrastarson, Zein, and Rosta all failing to convert, preventing them from securing an early playoff ticket.

With Eurofarm Pelister and Plock now level on eight points, the Polish side holds the tiebreaker advantage, having won the direct head-to-head matchups by a +5 goal aggregate. Meanwhile, Dinamo remain in fifth place with 10 points.

GROUP B

Barça (ESP) vs Industria Kielce (POL) 30:28 (14:13)

In their first EHF Champions League match since the severe knee injury of goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez de Vargas—who is out for the rest of the season—Barça faced a tougher challenge than expected. Like in last week’s defeat against Magdeburg, Industria Kielce put up a strong defensive performance. With this loss, Kielce have been overtaken by Kolstad in the standings and have dropped out of the top six for the first time this season, though the gap to Kolstad remains just one point.

The first half was tightly contested and only the opening minutes of the second half proved decisive in this rematch of the 2022 Champions League final. Barça’s Emil Nielsen dominated the goalkeeper duel, making key saves that kept his team in control. When Xavier Rodriguez scored to make it 27:22, the match was effectively decided, and Kielce’s late comeback attempt fell short.

Top scorers of the match were Jorge Maqueda (Kielce) and Timothy N’Guessan (Barça), each with six goals.

With this win, the defending champions now sit at 19 points, four ahead of both Aalborg and Nantes. As those two teams face each other in the final round, they cannot both reach 19 points—securing Barça’s top position since they hold the tiebreaker over both teams.

Main photo: @ Roland Peka