SUMMARY: Barça only unbeaten team left as Kiel go down in round 5

• round 5 of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2023/24
• on WEDNESDAY:
  Barça defeat Celje 37:31 in MOTW with goalkeeper Emil Nielsen delivering 16 saves and earning Player of the Match award; PSG beat Aalborg 33:30 upon Mikkel Hansen's return to Paris; and GOG keep strong season start going with 32:27 win over Montpellier
  -> read the day review for Wednesday
• on THURSDAY:
  Kolstad defeat previously unbeaten Kiel 34:30; Zagreb dominate second half of Balkan derby to beat Pelister 27:18; Veszprém never get in trouble against Plock and win 28:21; Magdeburg overcome strong resistance from Porto for a 37:33 win; Kielce cannot hold on to second-half lead as Szeged earn point, 27:27
  -> read the day review for Thursday
• watch recorded matches on demand on EHFTV (geo-restrictions may apply), and highlights on the Home of Handball YouTube channel
• follow the official EHF Champions League socials on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook
• Eric Willemsen reported Thursday evening; all photos courtesy of the home teams

Thursday 19 October 2023

23:15

Here ends our coverage of round 5, which has fully lived up to expectations over the past two days. It was our pleasure to guide you through the eight matches, and we hope to see you again for round 6 next week, when the schedule includes some outstanding matches again, including Aalborg vs Kolstad, PSG vs Kiel, and Barça vs Veszprém – just to name a few.

Thanks for joining us and it is goodbye for now! We leave you as usual with some of the best pictures of the day in our gallery:

23:02

Five matches, each with their own story, wrapped up round 5 of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League tonight. Here is the day review written by EHF journalist Björn Pazen:

22:51

Here you go: all round 5 results in one visual:

22:43

Round 5 has come to an end on Thursday, with Kiel running into their first defeat of the season at Kolstad and Kielce being held to a draw at home by Szeged, while Zagreb, Veszprém and Magdeburg celebrate good home wins.

You can watch highlights of Sander Sagosen and Kolstad downing Kiel, and all other matches of round 5, on our Home of Handball YouTube channel.

22:25

In the end it is a solid win over Porto for Magdeburg, who started the season with back-to-back defeats but the defending champions have found their stride now with three straight wins.

22:21

Kielce have certainly hoped for more against Szeged, but the Hungarian side are probably one of the most underrated teams in the group phase. And this goal from Arkadiusz Moryto to equalise in the last minute at least saved one point for Kielce. 

Interestingly, we now have three teams in group A on five points after five rounds: Zagreb, Aalborg, and Kielce. 

22:14 RESULTS |

_ Magdeburg vs Porto 37:33 (18:17)
_ Kielce vs Szeged 27:27 (14:15)

22:11

Team timeout Szeged. It is 26:26 and they now want at least that one point from Kielce. Thrilling end to round 5!

22:07

Szeged bounce back! They are back level again with Kielce at 25 all, and the clock says less than four minutes to play. Great excitement in Poland as this match is going down to the wire...

21:54

Sorely missed by all: injured Alex Dujshebaev watches on from the stands as Kielce try to add two points to their tally without him.

21:51

All clear? Felix Claar puts Magdeburg three goals up as well now, against Porto. Seems both finalists from last season are gaining grip on these tough home games now.

21:45

Wow, not sure what Talant Dujshebaev has told his players, but Kielce start the second half with a 6:2 run and suddenly go three goals up: 20:17.

Is that the turnaround the Polish side have been hoping for?

21:32

Great example of Szeged's efficiency tonight. If they keep going like this in the second half, Kielce have a very tough nut to crack in this round 5 closer.

21:22 HALF-TIME |

_ Magdeburg vs Porto 18:17

The titleholders have been off to a quick start – and a substantial 7:2 lead after eight minutes, but Porto are doing a great job to not just hang in there, but completely claw their way back into this game. Nikolaj Læsø has already netted six times for the Portuguese side.

21:16 HALF-TIME |

_ Kielce vs Szeged 14:15

Earlier this season Kielce lost at home against Aalborg. Tonight, they are trailing again in Hala Légionow, as Szeged have just edged ahead, and it could have been worse if Arkadiusz Moryto had not converted a last-second penalty. Szeged's Luka Stepancic with four goals the best shooter so far.

21:10

Meanwhile, Kielce back on level terms with Szeged, 11:11. Usually reliable shooters like Szymon Sicko (two goals from five attempts) and Arkadiusz Moryto (two from four) not yet up to their usual standards.

21:06

Still, this is not going to be an easy game for Magdeburg. Porto come back to within one or two goals, so we are far off from the runaway game for Magdeburg it has looked like in the opening stages.

20:57

OK, Diogo Rêma Marques has just saved a penalty, but Magdeburg are clearly leading against Porto: 7:3 after nine minutes.

20:42

No time to waste, onto the last two games of round 5. We head to Germany to see the defending champions (Magdeburg take on Porto) and to Poland to see the team they beat in last year's final (Kielce host Szeged).

As always, EHFTV is your place to go for live streaming!

20:25 RESULT |

_ Zagreb vs Pelister 27:18 (10:10)

What. A. Second. Half! Guided by new coach Nenad Sostaric, Zagreb dominate the Balkan derby against Pelister after the break and go from 10:10 to 27:18. Miloš Kos and Aleks Kavcic lead the way with five goals, in what is a comprehensive victory for Zagreb in their quest for a play-off spot.

20:19 RESULT |

_ Veszprém vs Plock 28:21 (14:9)

No troubles for Veszprém, who truly deliver on home court once again. Xavi Sabaté's defensive expertise help Plock to keep the Hungarian attack in check and below 30 goals, but overall a straightforward win for the stronger team.

Gasper Marguc for the hosts and Przemyslaw Krajewski for the visitors with six goals each.

20:16

Kolstad have done it! Led by Sander Sagosen, clearly fired up for this match against his former club, and a 10-goal outing from Sigvaldi Gudjonsson, the EHF Champions League debutants confirm that they can keep up with the big boys, and beat Kiel deservedly 34:30.

20:14 RESULT |

_ Kolstad vs Kiel 34:30 (19:16)

20:10

33:27! That should be it for Kolstad, with just over four minutes on the clock. Looks like Kiel's perfect start to the season with four wins from four matches comes to an end here in Norway tonight...

20:06

Zagreb go 19:16 up against Pelister, with less than 14 minutes left on the clock. Can the Croatian side keep it up and add those two oh-so-important points to their tally in group A?

19:56

Team timeout for Kiel. They just cannot close the gap as Kolstad keep their nose in front: 28:26. Are we going to witness the first defeat of the season for Kiel?

19:44

The party has started early in Kolstad. Not too early..?

19:38

And Veszprém? They are one size too big for Plock and lead 14:9 at half-time. A quick 6:2 lead set the tone and it is hard to imagine this match could still go upside-down in the second half. But let's see... and watch out for Gasper Marguc, who is on six from six after the opening half.

19:34

Zagreb against Pelister is the expected tight contest. Zagreb have led by two a few times, but the difference has never been bigger than that. Uros Borzas is the only player with more than two goals behind his name (right, three) so this close Balkan derby has left everything to play for in the second half.

19:30

Sander Sagosen, with a perfect five from five in the first half, leads Kolstad to a three-goal half-time lead over his former club. Kiel have been five behind several times, get back to within one, but see their opponents widen the gap again just before the break.

Will be interesting to see if Kolstad can keep this level up for the entire 60 minutes.

19:26 HALF-TIME |

_ Kolstad vs Kiel 19:16
_ Zagreb vs Pelister 10:10
_ Veszprém vs Plock 14:9

19:17

Kiel are recovering well from that overwhelming start by Kolstad. The difference was five goals several times, but meanwhile the German side are back to within one, also thanks to Niclas Ekberg's six goals so far.

19:14

The Veszprém train goes on and on... They are up 12:7 against Plock, while scoring some terrific goals:

19:11

Ha, Sander Sagosen! See this goal, and then watch his reaction to see what it means to him:

19:08

In Croatia, Zagreb and Pelister are entangled in a close Balkan derby: 5:5. Can Zagreb keep the points at home in their first match under Nenad Sostaric?

18:56

Food for thought for Filip Jicha: his Kiel are trailing by four within the opening 10 minutes as Sigvaldi Gudjonsson has already netted three times for Kolstad. 

18:45

Let's go! Tune in to EHFTV to see you favourite team live in action.

18:40

Since you are here on the live blog... I can imagine that you are keen on getting any news on the EHF Champions League – both the men's and the women's edition.

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The newsletter will be delivered to your inbox every Friday. So, why not subscribe right away and get your first EHFCL Weekly already tomorrow (and each next Friday, too)?!

Click here to subscribe to the EHFCL Weekly newsletter of the EHF.

From now on, you can use your mobile phone not only for snapshots of your favourites players, but also for reading EHFCL Weekly!

18:39

The Machineseeker EHF Champions League is the perfect podium for the big stars, but also for the young talents who showcase their incredible on-court skills.

So, who are your three rising stars? The Spin has some suggestions for you:

18:36

Also starting at 18:45 CEST are Zagreb vs Pelister in group A and Veszprém vs Plock in group B. Veszprém want the win to stay level with GOG on the second place behind untouchable leaders Barça, while Plock desperately want their first points of the group phase, finally...

18:26

A lot of attention in the early matches will go to Kolstad against Kiel – not just because of Sander Sagosen's position, who won the EHF Champions League with Kiel but left the club last summer to join the Kolstad project in his native Norway. The debutants have had an up-and-down start to the season with two wins and two defeats, while Kiel are yet to drop a point in group A.

18:15

Welcome back to the live blog for the second part of round 5. We have a handful of very promising games coming our way, and the action starts in half an hour!

Wednesday 18 October 2023

23:15

And that's it for today! Thank you for being with us, and see you tomorrow starting from 17.45 CET again, with first matches scheduled for 18.45 CET. Have a wonderful night!

23:10

In the end of the day, we'll go back to the MOTW and check out what the coaches of both teams had to say following the game. 

''I have to congratulate Barca for the win today, but also praise my players for the solid performance they've delivered. We were looking good, but their goalkeeper had a fantastic day saving them in those critical minutes when we had a chance to cut the gap and level the result going into the final few minutes.'', said Celje PL coach Alem Toskic. 

Barca coach Carlos Ortega added: ''Overall, I'm very satisfied with the result and performance from my team. This was a match of two good offenses, and not so good defenses. This is clearly something I'm not delighted about, and I have to add that we really were lucky to have Emil in such a great form between posts today.''

23:05

While waiting for tomorrow's five matches, make sure to check out the latest episode of The Spin where we talk handball with Jesper Nøddesbo!

22:57

You already know it - the best way to end the day is to check out our detailed review of the matches we've seen where you'll find absolutely everything you need to know!

22:47

With the third and final game of the day now in the books, it's time to check out some of the best photos from Celje, Gudme, and Paris!

22:35

One of the key goals in this one. Calm and focused when it matters the most. 

It's late at night but 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐮 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞 is still sharp between the ears 🧠#ehfcl #clm #daretorise pic.twitter.com/AtRDxMJsrf

— EHF Champions League (@ehfcl) October 18, 2023

22:25

Eight goals for - today absolutely unstoppable Elohim Prandi, and six for Kamil Syprzak in a big and important PSG win over Aalborg. Andreas Palicka added ten saves. Mikkel Hansen played a great game scoring seven for Aalborg. Mads Hoxer added six, Landin and Norsten combined for 9 saves, but that simply wasn't enough for Stefan Madsen and his team to defeat PSG on the road today. 

22:20 FULL TIME

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN HANDBALL - AALBORG HANDBOLD 33:30

22:12

Two goals and an assist from Elohim Prandi put PSG three-goals ahead, however Mikkel Hansen answers with a goal and an assist of his own as Aalborg cut the gap to only one goal with seven minutes left on the clock. 

22:04

Teams are levelled at 24:24 heading towards the final ten minutes of the game! It seems like we're up for a thriller finish in Paris!

21:54

Fabian Norsten is one of the main reasons why Aalborg is looking as good in the second half!

𝐅𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 has shown some INCREDIBLE saves tonight! 👏#ehfcl #clm #daretorise pic.twitter.com/DptWukO7rq

— EHF Champions League (@ehfcl) October 18, 2023

21:45

Only four minutes into the second, Aalborg takes a two-goal lead following a few great defenses that helped them open the chance for a counter and an easy goal. 

21:37

A couple of Niklas Landin saves helped Aalborg get completely back into this one later in the first. His team is surely going to need him if they want to take points back to Denmark!

Making his presence felt: 𝑵𝒊𝒌𝒍𝒂𝒔 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏#ehfcl #clm #daretorise pic.twitter.com/iVZ9RwsR0b

— EHF Champions League (@ehfcl) October 18, 2023

21:28

Strong finish helps Aalborg cut PSG' lead to only one goal going into the break. Four goals for Mads Hoxer, three for Buster Juul and Mikkel Hansen when it comes to Aalborg. Kamil Syprzak netted four for PSG, Nikola Karabatic added three. Andreas Palicka has six saves.

21:25 HALF TIME

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN HANDBALL - AALBORG HANDBOLD 15:14

21:15

With just under ten minutes left to play in the first, PSG is successfully maintaining the three-goal lead. 

ANOTHER one (🗣️ DJ Khaled voice) #ehfcl #clm #daretorise pic.twitter.com/DzybBfZ0I0

— EHF Champions League (@ehfcl) October 18, 2023

21:05

Four goals for Kamil Syprzak, three for Nikola Karabatic as PSG leads Aalborg 11:7 midway through the first. 

20:50

Five minutes in, Aalrborg has a 3:4 lead in Paris. Two goals from Nikola Karabatic early on despite of PSG' slow start. 

20:40

We've got only five more minutes before the third match of the day - the duel between PSG and Aalborg in Paris! PSG has six points from four games so far, while Aalborg has five which means that an eventual win in France would help the Danish team overtake the second spot in Group A. 

20:35

Right after the game, we've heard from both Janc brothers!

''I'm happy and proud about this win of course. It was a special match for me here today on this court, and in front of these amazing fans. I really wish this Celje team all the best going forward!'', concluded Barca's Blaz Janc. 

Mitja Janc, on the other side, added: ''Congrats to Barca of course, they have a really good, special roster that's really hard to play against. In order to defeat them you've got to deliver a perfect performance, and with that in mind we've got to be satisfied with the way we played today, despite the final loss.''

20:27

Emil Nielsen secures the MOTW POTM title as Barca celebrates a six-goal win over Celje Pivovarna Lasko in Slovenia! Amazing 16 saves for Nielsen, while Dika Mem, Blaz Janc, and Hampus Wanne score five each. On the other side six goals for Ziga Mlakar. 

In Denmark, GOG secured a win over Montpellier. Emil Madsen led their offense with double-digit goals (10), while Nicolai Pedersen added six. Charles Bolzinger had eight saves for Montpellier. </p

#MOTW 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧@FCBhandbol make it 5 wins from 5 games with a 37:31 against @RKCPL 👏 𝗘𝗺𝗶𝗹 𝗡𝗶𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲𝗻 is crowned the #POTM after his 16 save-performance (34%) tonight! 🔥#ehfcl #clm #daretorise pic.twitter.com/JGfroSlRH2

— EHF Champions League (@ehfcl) October 18, 2023

20:15 FULL TIME

RK CELJE PIVOVARNA LASKO - BARCA 31:37

GOG - MONTPELLIER HB 32:27

20:00

GOG has managed to turn the game completely around in the second half! Danish team is currently three goals in front (27:23) as Emil Madsen leads them with seven. Nicolai Pedersen has six, while Tobias Thulin has eight saves. Can Montpellier deliver a final-quarter spark and get back into this one?

19:57

After deciding the game in Celje last year, with a last second save, Emil Nielsen makes sure Barca takes points back home from Slovenia again, shining with 14 saves so far. This one included!</p

Closing the door, locking it and throwing the keys away 🚪🔒#ehfcl #clm #daretorise #MOTW pic.twitter.com/fDilnkvvur

— EHF Champions League (@ehfcl) October 18, 2023

19:43

Ten minutes into the second half, Barca has a five-goal lead in Slovenia (22:27). Ziga Mlakar is having a really good second half so far with three goals in ten minutes.

19:35

Celje are finding it harder and harder to cope with Barca as the match goes!

Scoring goals in ✨style✨ @FCBhandbol 😎#ehfcl #clm #daretorise #MOTW pic.twitter.com/LgNVpKokHV

— EHF Champions League (@ehfcl) October 18, 2023

19:25

Blaz Janc and Hampus Wanne score five each in the first, while Emil Nielsen grabs amazing 11 saves as Barca goes to the break with a comfortable five-goal lead in our this round's MOTW! Tim Cokan, Mitja Janc, and Ziga Mlakar have netted three each for Celje, but hosts will have to find a way to improve in the second, especially defensively, if they want to get a shot at surprising Barca and securing first points!

In Denmark, Hugo Monte dos Santos is leading Montpellier with four, while Emil Madsen netted five so far for GOG. 

19:20 HALF TIME

RK CELJE PIVOVARNA LASKO - BARCA 17:22

GOG - MONTPELLIER HB 16:18

19:08

Wanne is leading Barca with four goals so far, as the guests enter the final ten minutes of the first with a two-goal lead (10:12). Emil Nielsen is once again looking really good with seven saves so far!

18:58

A few amazing saves from Rok Zaponsek in a row, as Celje overtakes the lead in the MOTW! Just under 15 minutes in, Slovenian are 7:6 up!

18:50

Five minutes in, the result is levelled at 3:3! Ziga Mlakar, and Hampus Wanne scored two each for their respective teams so far!

In Denmark, GOG is trailing Montpellier 4:5. 

18:45

The game is on! The hosts will have the first possession!

18:40

With only five minutes left until the opening whistle in Slovenia, let's remember how it all ended last season. Will Celje find a way to make it a step further this season? We'll find out sooner rather than later!

That's how the match ended last year...

Nielsen saved the victory at the last second! pic.twitter.com/wUtgBJPWqo

— EHF Champions League (@ehfcl) October 18, 2023

18:30

One of the players a lot of Slovenian fans will surely be focusing on tonight, despite the fact he's not playing for Celje Pivovarna Lasko, is surely Blaz Janc who has managed to leave a big mark on the Slovenian team, and is now playing an important role for the Spanish giant. 

''Celje is my home and it is always very nice to return here. I will also be playing against my brother again which surely makes it a very special match for me. On the other hand, we know that we've traveled here with an intention to win the game. We are aware of how good their team is now, and that they surely have the quality needed to compete with all the teams. Our goal is to be focused and given everything we've got. They've got nothing to lose, and a lot to gain in this one!'', Janc concluded before the game. 

18:20

There is no better way really to describe how much this game means to Celje, than to check out what their coach Alem Toskic had to say prior to the game:

''This is a match of the year for us and our fans. Barca is one of the biggest clubs in the world. We all know they have the best players in the world on their team. Last year we played really well against them and lost in the last seconds of the match. We will prepare best we can, and try to deliver our best possible performance!'

18:10

There is no better way to prepare for what's coming up in Celje, Slovenia than to go through the Media Guide for the MOTW - courtesy of the EHF Media Team!

• Two former titleholders with contrasting starts to the 2023/24 season meet in the Match of the Week in round 5 of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League: RK Celje Pivovarna Laško and Barça.

• Celje have lost all their four matches in group B so far, but three defeats were by just one or two goals.

• Barça are one of the two still unbeaten teams in the competition – alongside THW Kiel in group A.

• Two former Celje players are part of Barça's squad: right wing Blaz Janc and playmaker Domen Makuc ; However, Makuc is out for months with a knee injury.

• Blaz Janc will face his younger brother Mitja Janc , who is Celje's best scorer with 23 goals – five less than Barça's leading scorer, Dika Mem.

• Celje have not beaten Barça in 11 matches since winning the first leg of their CL 2004/05 semi-final.

• The series includes Celje's biggest ever defeat in the CL – 45:21, from a group phase game at the Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona in September 2019.

• Their first eight duels were all CL semi-finals, which were played over two legs at that time.

• At each semi-final both teams won one leg, but Barça advanced on all four occasions – and went on to win the trophy each time: in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2005.

• Two players won the CL with both clubs: Dejan Peric in 2004 (with Celje) and 2005 (Barça); Siarhei Rutenka in 2004 (Celje), 2011 and 2015 (Barça).

• Barça coach Carlos Ortega is a seven-time CL winner with the Spanish club – six times as a player, once as a coach (in 2022).

• When it comes to Barça's matches against Celje, Ortega holds the all-time club records for most goals in total (37) and most goals in one match (12).

• Like Ortega at Barça, Celje head coach Alem Toskić also played for his current club in the past.

• Barça's Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas and Aitor Ariño are the only players in the 2023/24 group phase who have won the CL four times.

• Celje play their 28th CL season; Barça their 26th.

• In the CL all-time standings, Barça lead with 287 wins from 372 matches; Celje have won 120 of their 278 matches so far.

• Celje's Serbian center back Stefan Dodic , who arrived from HC Zagreb last summer, was the MVP of the U20 EHF EURO 2022, where Serbia won bronze. 

• Both sides are the record champions and cup winners of their countries: Celje have won the league 26 and the cup 22 times in Slovenia; Barça the league 30 and the cup 27 times in Spain.

6:00 p.m

And we're live wishing a warm welcome to all the handball fans as another round of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League handball begins! We've got three games coming up our way today, and we're starting the round in the best possible fashion with the MOTW in which Celje will host Barca!

5:00 p.m

You got to feel for Celje: zero points from their first four matches, and Barça are up next...

However, the naked numbers don't tell the whole story. Three of Celje's four defeats were by just one or two goals and any other result would have been possible in each of these matches.

Also, when it was Janc (Mitja) vs Janc (Blaz) last season, Celje made life difficult for Barça and it was only thanks to a last-second save by Emil Nielsen that Barça did not drop a point that night:

16:46

We await a fiery start into round 5 tonight as the MOTW is scheduled right at the beginning: at 18:45 CEST, Celje host Barça.

The Spanish record champions missed a third title in a row last season, stumbling over eventual winners Magdeburg in the semi-final at the TruckScout EHF FINAL4 2023. Despite key players leaving and others injured, there is only one goal again for Barça this season: another trophy, as goalkeeper Emil Nielsen tells EHF journalist Adrian Costeiu in this MOTW feature :

16:29

More French action tonight: before PSG close the day against Aalborg, we will see Montpellier play a tough away game against GOG in Denmark.

GOG had a dream start in group B with three wins from three matches, but returned to earth last week, when the mighty Barça defeated them 38:30. And Montpellier? They had arguably the toughest season start with matches against Barça and Veszprém, but the 2003 and 2018 champions have recovered from those defeats by beating Plock and Celje since.

A hard-to-predict game, also because the teams have never met before.

16:16

Let's focus on the three matches scheduled for tonight.

We close the day in Paris: starting at 20:45 CEST, PSG (six points) and Aalborg (five) will battle it out for the second place in group A behind so far unbeaten leaders Kiel.

PSG have won four of their five previous meetings, but Aalborg won the most recent – and the most important one: their 2021 semi-final in Cologne, when the Danish side triumphed 35:33.

Not only the memories of that game make tonight's match special, it is also the return to Paris of Aalborg star player Mikkel Hansen, who spent 10 seasons with PSG from 2012-22.

16:08

No better way to get up-to-date on all matches than the round 5 preview from EHF journalists Björn Pazen and Kevin Domas:

16:00

Wednesday afternoon, four o'clock... welcome to a new edition of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League live blog!

We are going to witness round 5 this week, with three matches tonight and five on Thursday evening. A lot of good stuff is coming our way! Here is the full match schedule: