Main round continues as race for quarter-finals heats up

HIGHLIGHT MATCHES

GROUP II

Bidasoa Irun (ESP) vs Limoges Handball (FRA)
Tuesday 25 February, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV

• the former EHF Champions League winners Irun and European Cup debutants Limoges top their group, each having six points on their account
• a penalty goal by Maxime Ogando before the final buzzer decided the reverse fixture last week, won by Limoges 32:31 after a fully balanced thriller
• if Limoges win again and Benfica do not win at Ystad, the French side are already confirmed as group winners
• Limoges are the only team among the 16 main round participants who won both main round matches
• it is the duel of two Spanish coaches: Alejandro Mozas (Irun) and Alberto Entrerrios (Limoges)
• both sides were victorious in their domestic leagues last weekend: Limoges won 34:32 against Chambery, while Irun took a close 26:25 win at Huesca

GROUP IV

FENIX Toulouse (FRA) vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER)
Tuesday 25 February, 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV

• in last week’s reverse fixture FENIX Toulouse were close to become the first team to beat the defending champions in the EHF European League, but the first-ever duel of both sides ended 34:34
• the Danish world champions Simon Pytlick (nine), Lukas Jørgensen (eight) and Emil Jakobsen (six) combined for 23 of 34 Flensburg’s goals, including Jakobsen’s last-minute penalty goal, while Gonçalo Martins was the top scorer of Toulouse with eight goals
• Flensburg lead the group with seven points, while Toulouse are second-placed with five points – if the German side take their eighth win in nine matches, they are confirmed as group winners already
• the current best scorers of both sides are August Pedersen with 49 goals for Flensburg and Nemanja Ilic, who netted 36 times for Toulouse
• Flensburg lost the top match of the German Bundesliga 36:31 at Füchse Berlin on Sunday, while Toulouse tied 25:25 against Nimes in the French league

IN OTHER MATCHES

GROUP I

Montpellier Handball (FRA) vs GOG (DEN)
Tuesday 25 February, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV

Fraikin BM. Granollers (ESP) vs HC Kriens-Luzern (SUI)
Tuesday 25 February, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV

GROUP II

Ystads IF HF (SWE) vs Sport Lisboa e Benfica (POR)
Tuesday 25 February, 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV

GROUP III

FC Porto (POR) vs THW Kiel (GER)
Tuesday 25 February, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV

MT Melsungen (GER) vs Vojvodina (SRB)
Tuesday 25 February, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV

GROUP IV

VfL Gummersbach (GER) vs MOL Tatabanya KC (HUN)
Tuesday 25 February, 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV

Photos © Lau Nielsen (main), Ingrid Anderson-Jensen & Tania Paulo (in-text)