SUMMARY: PSG ease into quarter-finals; Dinamo win MOTW
The penultimate round of the group phase in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2022/23 featured eight interesting clashes, including CS Dinamo Bucuresti defeating GOG 30:27 in the Match of the Week on Thursday.
- Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2022/23 group phase – round 13
- Results Wednesday: in group B Barça ease past Szeged 35:25 to secure the top spot, Aalborg beat Elverum 31:24 to confirm their play-off berth, and Kiel outscore Celje 39:27 as Celje go out of the race for the knockout phase; in group A Magdeburg win at Zagreb 31:25 to boost their chances of a top-two finish
- Results Thursday: Dinamo beat GOG 30:27 in the MOTW; PSG win at Plock 32:26 to secure top spot in group A, Veszprém edge Porto 32:30 to keep their hope for second place alive; Kielce win in Nantes 33:30 in the late game.
- see the group standings and watch highlights of all matches on EHFTV
- Eric Willemsen reported; all photos courtesy of the respective home team
Thursday 23 February 2023
23:15
That was round 13! We know a lot more, but not everything yet: we still need to find one direct quarter-finalist (Magdeburg or Veszprém) and one play-off team (Zagreb or Plock). And of course, the exact position in the group is not yet clear for all clubs:
QUALIFIED FOR THE QUARTER-FINALS:
- group A: PSG (group winners)
- group B: Barça (group winners), Kielce (runners-up)
THROUGH TO THE PLAY-OFFS:
- group A: Magdeburg*, Veszprém*, GOG, Dinamo
- group B: Nantes, Kiel, Aalborg, Szeged
* either Magdeburg or Veszprém will qualify directly for the QFs
CAN STILL REACH THE PLAY-OFFS:
- group A: Zagreb, Plock
- group B: –
OUT OF THE RACE:
- group A: Porto
- group B: Celje, Elverum
The Machineseeker EHF Champions League returns already on Sunday for the rescheduled game between Porto and Zagreb, and then of course next week Wednesday and Thursday for the all-decisive round 14.
Make sure to join us again then. For now, it is good night and enjoy the best pictures from today:
23:07
Remember you can watch highlights from all matches on our Home of Handball YouTube channel. Here are the best scenes of Plock vs PSG:
23:02
So, here are the full results of round 13, as we have just nine matches left in the 2022/23 group phase of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League:
22:46
Save the best for last? Or: was the greatest goal of round 13 scored in the closing match tonight? This Aymeric Minne stunner is certainly a serious contender:
22:44
Four matches, four reviews. Here you can read all what happened in the matches played tonight as round 13 has come to an end:
22:29
Round 13 is done and dusted, time to update our overview of the 16 clubs. This is how things stand with only the rescheduled game Porto vs Zagreb on Sunday and the full round 14 next week remaining:
QUALIFIED FOR THE QUARTER-FINALS:
- group A: PSG (group winners)
- group B: Barça (group winners), Kielce (runners-up)
THROUGH TO THE PLAY-OFFS:
- group A: Magdeburg*, Veszprém*, GOG, Dinamo
- group B: Nantes, Kiel, Aalborg, Szeged
* Magdeburg or Veszprém will qualify directly for the QFs
CAN STILL REACH THE PLAY-OFFS:
- group A: Zagreb, Plock
- group B: –
OUT OF THE RACE:
- group A: Porto
- group B: Celje, Elverum
22:16 RESULT | Nantes vs Kielce 30:33 (14:17)
It has been an up-and-down second half but Kielce remain on top: the second-ranked team in group B win by three against a strong Nantes side, that could go deep in the competition again this season.
Szymon Sicko and Arkadiusz Moryto both finish on six goals for Kielce; Valero Rivera leads with seven for Nantes.
22:05
What a match this! Nantes have it all turned around for a 25:23 lead (also thanks to saves like the one below)... only for Kielce to reply with a 6:0 run and go four goals up again: 29:25 to Kielce. That's the decision in this match?!
21:56
Mission accomplished for PSG! They got the point – two, actually – they needed against Plock to seal top spot in group A. Let's hear from head coach Raul Gonzalez:
Of course it was a very important game for us and we needed to get one point to secure our first place in the group. We managed to achieve our goal and win today's match. We started a bit badly in defence, which was shown by the score at half-time (14:15), in the later stages we tightened our defense.
21:49
Ten minutes into the second half and the margin is two: Nantes 21, Kielce 23. This is really anybody's game now.
21:36
Kielce fans and the 'V' for victory? Find out and watch the second half of Nantes vs Kielce live on EHFTV now.
21:23 HALF-TIME | Nantes vs Kielce 14:17
An intense match to close round 13! Nantes are fighting to stay ahead of Kiel in the group standings, but the French hosts are running into really strong opposition. Kielce's Arkadiusz Moryto with five goals the best scorer; Valero Rivera has four for Nantes.
21:15
Kielce have nothing really to play for tonight as their second place in group B is fixed. But great to see the 2016 champions giving it their all in France tonight, where they lead Nantes continuously since minute four (2:2). It is 15:11 to Kielce meanwhile.
21:11
Here are some stats from the MOTW. How far can Dinamo go this season?
21:02
A strong showing from Dinamo in our MOTW tonight. This is what coach Xavi Pascual and Player of the Match Ante Kuduz said after the 30:27 win over GOG:
It was probably not the best game that we played this season. It's complicated now, after the World Championship a lot of players are injured and the level is not the same level that we showed in the first part of the season. But I am happy with the team. If someone told me before the season: "You have 13 points..." It's amazing for us.
The most important thing is that we won. In the end we manage to bring the game to an end with a win. First two games were hard after the winter break, but today was a good day for the team, to finally win again in the Champions League.
20:45
Ready for the round 13 closer? Tune in to EHFTV for Nantes vs Kielce now!
20:25 RESULT | Veszprém vs Porto 32:30 (15:14)
Not their best game this season, Veszprém win and keep the race for a direct quarter-final ticket from group A open. PSG are first, Veszprém or Magdeburg will be second, to be decided next week in the final round 14.
20:19 RESULT | Plock vs PSG 26:32 (14:15)
Congrats to PSG, securing top spot in group A with a convincing win in Poland. PSG's Polish line player Kamil Syprzak with six goals the leading scorer.
20:15 RESULT | MOTW – Dinamo vs GOG 30:27 (14:13)
Congrats to Dinamo, they are now safely through to the play-offs! Again, Ante Kuduz the excelling player - and deservingly getting the Player of the Match award!
20:09
Dinamo's performance in the MOTW is remarkable since they started the year 2023 with back-to-back defeats. To click into the next gear when it's needed most is a quality. Well done!
PS: An excellent goalkeeper also helps a lot, of course:
20:06
Welcome to the play-offs. Dinamo! They lead GOG 28:23 with five minutes on the clock in the MOTW. Xavi Pascual has just given his instructions: the Romanian side is not going to give this lead away.
20:01
Porto might be out of the race, it is still no walk-over for Veszprém tonight. But 10 goals so far (!) from Yehia Elderaa (and a 29:17 lead) make the Hungarian happy:
19:57
GOG might have their place in the play-offs locked up, they still go for it in the MOTW. Watch this rocket:
19:53
Team timeout GOG. The Danish side needs to come up with solutions otherwise Dinamo are running away with this match. It's 24:20! Ante Kuduz the big man for the hosts with eight goals so far.
19:29 HALF-TIME | MOTW – Dinamo vs GOG 14:13
The hosts seemed cruising with a 12:8 lead, but the scoreboard says 'just' 14:13 after the first 30 minutes. Still enough for Dinamo for clinch that play-off berth, though, but they face quite some tense second half...
19:25 HALF-TIME | Plock vs PSG 14:15
Very close duel in Poland: both teams have enjoyed two-goal leads – but never more than that. At half-time, PSG have the edge and, if they stay in front, might book their quarter-final spot tonight as group winners.
19:22 HALF-TIME | Veszprém vs Porto 15:14
Veszprém have been up by as much as five goals (9:4, 10:5) but have to settle for a slim one-goal leda at the break. Mikita Vailupau the best scorer of the match so far with four goals.
19:09
Bright start for Dinamo in the MOTW! Ante Kuduz nets four times as the hosts take an 11:8 lead over GOG.
18:42
Almost ready for throw-off! Remember you can watch all matches live on EHFTV, the MOTW even with English commentary. However, geo-restrictions apply in certain regions.
18:18
So, we start the night with three group A games at 18:45 CET, which will tell us a lot about the possible outcome of this group with just round 14 left next week (and a rescheduled match Sunday).
Here is some more detail on out MOTW, Dinamo vs GOG:
- Dinamo can secure their place in the play-offs if they get at least a point;
- Dinamo have not lost to GOG in three previous duels: they won both encounters in 2019, and this season’s reverse fixture in Denmark ended in a 38:38 draw;
- Fourth-ranked GOG have already booked their ticket to the play-offs;
- GOG will appear in an EHF Champions League knockout phase for the third time in the club’s history, and for the first time since 2007;
- GOG have won their last three EHF Champions League matches and will equal their longest winning streak if they beat Dinamo;
- Dinamo have lost both their matches after the winter break: at FC Porto and at Paris Saint-Germain Handball;
- However, Dinamo are unbeaten in their last three home matches, defeating Orlen Wisla Plock and drawing with both HC PPD Zagreb and Veszprém.
17:54
GOG have arrived at the arena in Bucharest!
Less than an hour now until the MOTW between Dinamo and GOG throws off. The Romanian hosts will be chasing (at least) the point they need to secure their play-off spot tonight; the Danish visitors have already done so.
16:50
Nantes have had a good season this year, and currently sit in third place in group B after seven - often high-scoring - wins. Tonight they welcome Kielce for a match against the group runners-up, who beat them 40:33 back in round 1.
Kielce of course have several French players in their squad, although Benoit Kounkoud is unfortunately injured, and Nedim Remili has left for Veszprém. But Dylan Nahi and former Nantes player Nicolas Tournat will be on court for the sold-out match. Nantes line player Jérémy Toto is looking forward to the occasion, as he told EHF journalist Kevin Domas before tonight's game.
16:25
So, after last night, a recap of where teams stand and what tonight's results could mean.
- if PSG beat or draw with Plock, they have secured a quarter-final place
- Dinamo, Zagreb, Plock and Porto are all hoping for wins in the race to the play-offs - and Dinamo only need one point in MOTW to do it
- if Porto lose, they are out
- a win for Veszprém would be a major boost as they race Magdeburg for the quarter-finals
- if Veszprém lose, PSG will win the group with Magdeburg second
- Nantes are hoping to stay ahead of Kiel in order to secure third place in group B - therefore victory against Kielce is key
QUALIFIED FOR THE QUARTER-FINALS:
- group A: –
- group B: Barça (group winners), Kielce (runners-up)
THROUGH TO THE PLAY-OFFS:
(* = can still qualify directly for QFs)
- group A: PSG*, Magdeburg*, Veszprém*, GOG
- group B: Nantes, Kiel, Aalborg, Szeged
CAN STILL REACH THE PLAY-OFFS:
- group A: Dinamo, Zagreb, Plock, Porto
- group B: –
OUT OF THE RACE:
- group A: –
- group B: Celje, Elverum
16:00
Welcome back to round 13 of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League - four more matches await a little later on, with MOTW between C.S. Dinamo and GOG plus Plock vs Paris Saint-Germain and Veszprém vs Porto all at 18:45 CET, followed by Nantes vs Kielce at 20:45 CET.
To start off with, take a look at EHF journalist Adrian Costeiu's piece on how Dinamo are aiming for the Truckscout24 EHF FINAL4 with a bit of Spanish magic.
Wednesday 22 February 2023
23:15
That is a wrap for Wednesday! We are back tomorrow – same time, same place – for the remainder of round 13 as we expect more decisions in the race to the quarter-finals and the play-offs.
We are looking forward to the following matches:
- 18:45 CET: MOTW Dinamo vs GOG, Plock vs PSG, Veszprém vs Porto
- 20:45 CET: Nantes vs Kielce
Thanks for joining us tonight and as usual we close our coverage on the live blog with some of the best pictures of the day:
23:04
Four matches, four reviews. Read what has happened on the first night of round 13:
22:58
They are not quite there yet, but Magdeburg have earned an important win in Zagreb tonight that keeps them in the race for a top-two spot in group A and direct entry into the quarter-finals.
Here is what Magdeburg head coach Bennet Wiegert said after the match:
We were aware of how difficult it is here in Zagreb and we are happy and proud of this win. We are still fighting for that second place in our group and I hope we will manage to secure the direct ticket to the quarter-finals in the end.
22:32
Here is the latest overview of where the 16 clubs stand after the first four matches of round 13, with today's changes marked in italic:
QUALIFIED FOR THE QUARTER-FINALS:
- group A: –
- group B: Barça (group winners), Kielce (runners-up)
THROUGH TO THE PLAY-OFFS:
(* = can still qualify directly for QFs)
- group A: PSG*, Magdeburg*, Veszprém*, GOG
- group B: Nantes, Kiel, Aalborg, Szeged
CAN STILL REACH THE PLAY-OFFS:
- group A: Dinamo, Zagreb, Plock, Porto
- group B: –
OUT OF THE RACE:
- group A: –
- group B: Celje, Elverum
22:18 RESULT | Zagreb vs Magdeburg 25:31 (14:16)
It was close for a long time in the first half, but in the second, Magdeburg showed their quality and had Kay Smits as their best shooter again, with nine tonight.
Magdeburg stay in the race for a top-two finish in group A, but their victory also means that the slim chance for GOG to go directly to the quarter-finals, which was already rather mathematical, is now officially gone.
Not much has changed for Zagreb following this defeat: they know their big match is coming up on Sunday against bottom-ranked Porto.
22:08 RESULT | Barça vs Szeged 35:25 (20:10)
Congrats to Barça, who will go to the quarter-finals as the winners of group B! A straight-forward win over Szeged did the job tonight: sparkling in the first half, just decent in the second, as the gap remained 10.
Interesting statistic: Barça scored 15 fast-break goals, Szeged one...
21:58
The French connection works magnifique for Barça:
21:53
He was the Player of the Match when Magdeburg defeated Veszprém in the MOTW of the previous round, and he is at it again tonight: Kay Smits has scored seven from seven attempts so far as the German side hold on to their lead in Zagreb.
21:47
Earlier tonight, Aalborg defeated already-eliminated Elverum 31:24 to secure their place in the play-offs. This is what Aalborg head coach Stefan Madsen said after the game:
We are happy that we now managed to get into the next phase. We had very big problems with our defence in the beginning and did not manage to stop (Tobias) Grøndahl, who brought a lot of speed into the game. But we managed to stand close enough and we created a lot of chances and controlled the game most of the second half.
21:32
Only the first half done but lots of highlights already coming from the Palau Blaugrana. One of them:
21:24 HALF-TIME | Zagreb vs Magdeburg 14:16
Zagreb had an early two-goal lead (3:1) but it is Magdeburg who take such lead into the dressing rooms. A close battle for the points, as both teams have a lot a stake.
Good-old Zagreb wing Ivan Cupic heads the goal scorers list this match, with six.
21:21 HALF-TIME | Barça vs Szeged 20:10
Big, big half-time lead for Barça, who are bound to secure top spot in group B tonight. Blaz Janc nets five times against Szeged as the defending champions are in unstoppable form once again.
21:07
Nothing separating Zagreb and Magdeburg in the first 18 minutes: 7:7. Remember, Zagreb want to win to boost their play-off chances; Magdeburg want to win to stay in the race for a top-two finish.
20:58
Team timeout Szeged. Barça have a runaway start for an early 9:4 lead and Szeged coach Juan Carlos Pastor needs to get his team on the right track soon.
20:44
Let's go! The games are about to start so tune in to EHFTV right now if you haven't already done so.
20:40
Two down, two to go! Next up are Barça vs Szeged and the only group A game tonight, Zagreb vs Magdeburg.
Barça are ready! Are you as well?
20:34
This is the updated overview of where the 16 clubs stand after the first batch of matches in round 13, with the changes marked in italic:
QUALIFIED FOR THE QUARTER-FINALS:
- group A: –
- group B: Barça, Kielce
THROUGH TO THE PLAY-OFFS:
(* = can still qualify directly for QFs)
- group A: PSG*, Veszprém*, Magdeburg*, GOG*
- group B: Nantes, Kiel, Szeged, Aalborg
CAN STILL REACH THE PLAY-OFFS:
- group A: Dinamo, Zagreb, Plock, Porto
- group B: –
OUT OF THE RACE:
- group A: –
- group B: Celje, Elverum
20:19 RESULT | Kiel vs Celje 39:27 (17:15)
Kiel were determined not get upset by Celje for a second time this season – and they clearly avoided that. An easy win for Kiel, and the end of the slim play-off hopes for Celje. Though, even with a win tonight, Celje would have been out of the race since rivals Aalborg won the simultaneous match.
Magnus Landin with nine goals by far the best scorer in the Wunderino Arena.
20:14 RESULT | Aalborg vs Elverum 31:24 (17:12)
Congrats to Aalborg! They beat Elverum in tonight's Nordic derby to seal their place in the play-offs and avoid possibly becoming dependent on other results.
Felix Claar with six and both Aron Pálmarsson and Lukas Sandell with five their best shooters; Elverum's Daniel Blomgren also finishes on six.
20:05
We have mentioned his brother Niklas before, but here a shoutout to Magnus Landin. On a perfect eight from eight (and counting) for Kiel against Celje tonight!
19:56
We are 12 minutes into the second half and it is 26:20 in Kiel and 24:18 in Aalborg. Seems we cannot expect too much tension anymore regarding the outcome of these two matches, but we are sure going to see some more brilliant actions and great goals – like Domagoj Duvnjak is showing us:
19:44
Later tonight we will see Barça trying to lock up top spot in group B. On Twitter, they posted the highlights from their match against Szeged earlier this season. Should be a good game again when the teams meet at 20:45 CET!
19:22 HALF-TIME |
- Kiel vs Celje 17:15
- Aalborg vs Elverum 17:12
Both home teams score 17 times in the first half, but more importantly: it looks like Aalborg are going to book their play-off ticket tonight and Celje will be out of the race, regardless whether they can turn around their match in Kiel.
20:19
Did we mention Felix Claar earlier? Here he is:
19:14
Team timeout Elverum. They led 2:0 and 4:2 early on in Denmark but find themselves five goals down (15:10) approaching half-time. Hard to see a way back into this game for them, especially with hosts Aalborg eager to seal their play-off spot.
19:09
Aalborg meanwhile 10:8 ahead against already-eliminated Elverum. Felix Claar the big man for the hosts so far, with five goals.
19:03
Playing against a team with Niklas Landin as goalkeeper doesn't make things easier for Celje:
18:57
First 10 minutes done, Celje two goals down (6:4) in Kiel. Remember, if Celje lose this match, they are out of the race for the play-offs...
... which would send Aalborg through. And speaking of Aalborg, they are one down against Elverum (7:6) after 12 minutes.
18:40
Throw-off in five minutes! Remember, EHFTV is your place to go for livestreaming!
18:29
Can Celje keep their play-off dreams alive? The young and talented side did so well to beat Kiel earlier this season and bring Barça on the brink of defeat last week, but will need to out-do themselves again tonight in the Wunderino Arena in Kiel...
18:16
The icing on the cake today will be provided by the defending champions: Barça take on Szeged and they will lock up the first position in group B if they keep at least one point at home.
In that case, Kielce cannot go level with Barça anymore when the two powerhouses meet next week in the last round of the group phase.
And Szeged? They have secured their play-off ticket, so they can approach tonight's game relaxed – as far as relaxed visits to Palau Blaugrana actually exist...
18:05
Welcome back to the live blog for round 13. We are starting tonight's action in 40 minutes in Kiel and Aalborg – we talked you through these matches earlier.
Let's now look forward to our late-night show: at 20:45 CET, we have a third match in group B, Barça vs Szeged, as well as the only group A game today, Zagreb vs Magdeburg.
Zagreb are on a busy programme, since their postponed match against Porto has been rescheduled for Sunday. If Zagreb win against Magdeburg tonight, than they eliminate Porto already tonight from the race to the play-offs.
And Magdeburg? Still going strong for a direct quarter-final spot!
17:00
We take a short timeout but are back in the next hour to look forward to the late matches today. Join us again then as the action will get underway soon!
16:48
The situation in the other match at 18:45 CET is clear: if Aalborg beat Elverum, they are through to the play-offs. A draw might even do the job for them, as long as Celje do not beat Kiel (again..) in the simultaneous match. Even a defeat would be enough for Aalborg, but only if Celje also lose in Kiel.
And Elverum? They are out of the race and play for the club's honour in this Nordic derby.
16:37
One of the early matches tonight takes place in Germany. While Kiel have done enough to advance to the play-offs but cannot qualify directly for the quarter-finals anymore, a lot more is at stake for opponents Celje.
Currently in seventh position and three points behind sixth-place Aalborg, they need to close the gap to the Danish side to two points maximum. In the last round next week, it is Celje vs Aalborg...
Well, something is at stake for Kiel, too: they surprisingly lost the reverse fixture in Slovenia earlier this season and therefore they have "eine offene Rechnung" with Celje as they say on Twitter:
16:22
Just before heading into the first of the last two rounds of the group phase, let's see where the 16 clubs stand:
QUALIFIED FOR THE QUARTER-FINALS:
- group A: –
- group B: Barça, Kielce
THROUGH TO THE PLAY-OFFS:
(* = can still qualify directly for QFs)
- group A: PSG*, Veszprém*, Magdeburg*, GOG*
- group B: Nantes, Kiel, Szeged
CAN STILL REACH THE PLAY-OFFS:
- group A: Dinamo, Zagreb, Plock, Porto
- group B: Aalborg, Celje
OUT OF THE RACE:
- group A: –
- group B: Elverum
16:02
To whet your appetite before we dive into each of the four matches, here is your menu for tonight. Remember all matches will be streamed live on EHFTV – but restrictions may apply for some matches depending on where you are watching from.
15:53
The full rundown for round 13, with four matches on both days:
15:45
In three hours' time we throw off round 13 – and this might become a lucky number for some teams!
Welcome to the live blog for the one-to-last round in the group phase of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2022/23. Eight matches today and tomorrow could bring more clarity: which teams go through to the quarter-finals directly, which teams advance to the play-offs, and which teams will have their European season come to an end next week?
To get on track, here is the round preview with info on all eight matches:
