The closest tie is between RK Nexe and IFK Kristianstad, where Nexe have a two-goal lead after winning the first leg away (36:34).
Title holders Flensburg also won away in the first leg, beating Aarhus 38:32. Montpellier and Fredericia made the most of their home courts to hold advantages ahead of the return legs — Montpellier beat Elverum Håndball 36:24 and Fredericia defeated MT Melsungen 35:29.
Can Fredericia hold off 2025/26 semi-finalists Melsungen on German soil? That is the question to be answered in the Highlight Match of the round.
THW Kiel, FC Porto, HC Vardar 1961 and Recken - TSV Hannover-Burgdorf are directly qualified for the quarter-finals and await their opponents for that stage, to be played on 28 April and 5 May.
HIGHLIGHT MATCH
PLAY-OFFS, SECOND LEG
Tuesday 7 April, 20:45 CEST, live on EHFTV
First leg result: 29:35
- competing in their second international season ever, Fredericia are one of two teams in the play-offs — the other being SAH - Aarhus — who have never reached a European cup quarter-final before
- in the first leg, the Danish side shocked Melsungen with a fast-paced game that saw them leading from start to finish and securing a six-goal result in the end
- Sebastian Frandsen was key in Fredericia’s win with 16 saves, while line player Evgeni Pevnov top scored with eight goals; wing Timo Kastening led Melsungen with seven strikes
- it is Melsungen’s sixth season in the second-tier European cup competition; they target their fourth quarter-final, after making the semi-finals for the first time last season, placing fourth
- Fredericia made their international debut in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2025/26, where they were eliminated in the group phase
