Plock shock PSG, Berlin book play-off ticket

• Orlen Wisla Plock caused the major sensation of round 11, taking their first EHF Champions League away win since November 2023, a 30:25 at Celje
• The keys for their 31:28 victory at Paris was Plock’s defence, their patience in attack and 10 goals of Czech Tomas Piroch
• 20 goals of Danish world champions Lasse Andersson and Mathias Gidsel paved Füchse Berlin’s way to leave Fredericia behind
• Dinamo Bucuresti conceded their second straight home defeat – on the other hand, Veszprém took their tenth win in 11 matches, backed by strong goalkeeper Rodrigo Corrales
• a clear improvement after the break was the base for Sporting CP’s finally clear win against Eurofarm Pelister to leapfrog PSG in the table

GROUP A
Füchse Berlin (GER) vs Fredericia Håndbold Klub (DEN) 36:29 (18:14)

Berlin’s international restart was anything but a walk in the park, as the final result does not fully reflect Fredericia’s strong performance. Just seven minutes before the end, the score stood at a tight 30:28. Ultimately, Berlin secured the win through the individual brilliance of Danish world champions Lasse Andersson (12 goals from 14 attempts) and Mathias Gidsel (eight goals, bringing his season total to 76). They also benefited from a strong performance by goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev, who not only made 11 saves but also scored into an empty net for 29:24.

The Danish runners-up stunned the hosts with a 5:2 lead early on. However, 23 minutes later, Füchse had turned the game around, leading 17:13, thanks to their Italian newcomer Leo Prantner (6 goals in his debut) and Andersson. After the break, Fredericia fought back, displaying solid defence and physical intensity, leveling the game again at 25:23. Even a 29:24 lead was not enough for Berlin to seal the win early, as the German runners-up made too many attacking errors in the closing stages. In the end, they secured their playoff ticket, while Gudmundur Gudmundsson’s side remains at the bottom of the group with three points.

Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) vs One Veszprém HC (HUN) 26:33 (13:18)

One Veszprém HC consolidated their top position with their sixth win in eight matches against Dinamo. Even without their top scorer, Nedim Remili, the Hungarian side remained unstoppable. Backed by 14 saves from goalkeeper Rodrigo Corrales, Veszprém capitalised on a 9:2 run after an 8:8 tie to take a five-goal lead into the break.

When Bucharest goalkeeper Vladimir Cupara hit his strongest form, the hosts closed the gap to 20:23. However, French winger and overall top scorer Hugo Descat took charge, netting crucial goals to secure a decisive 30:23 lead. Dinamo remain on ten points, while Veszprém claimed their tenth win in 11 matches.

Sporting CP (POR) vs HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD) 30:24 (14:13)

Sporting reinforced their home dominance with their sixth consecutive group-stage win in Lisbon, though, like in the reverse fixture in Bitola, it was a closely contested match. Eurofarm Pelister put on an impressive defensive display, limiting the Costa brothers to just seven goals combined. However, they could not contain Salvador Salvador, who led all scorers with eight goals.

Before half-time, Sporting only managed to pull ahead by more than two goals twice—at 11:8 and 12:9—and the same pattern continued into the second half. When Salvador Salvador struck to make it 21:17, the hosts seemed in control, but Eurofarm Pelister fought back, keeping the game competitive for a few more minutes. Ultimately, a double strike from Icelander Orri Freyr Þorkelsson extended the lead to 26:21, ending the Macedonian champions’ hopes of an upset in Lisbon. With this victory, Sporting leapfrogged PSG to take second place in the standings, while Eurofarm Pelister are now level with Plock on six points.

Paris Saint-Germain Handball (FRA) vs Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) 28:31 (15:14)

10 was the magic number for Orlen Wisla Plock! After nine consecutive defeats against PSG, the Polish champions finally broke the streak in style, securing a historic victory in Paris. Goalkeeper Victor Hallgrimsson stepped up when it mattered most, making 12 crucial saves, particularly in crunch time. Meanwhile, Czech sharpshooter Tomas Piroch was on fire, scoring 10 goals from 12 attempts.

From 17:18 onward—with the exception of a brief tie at 23:23 - Plock remained in the lead, ultimately sealing the win when Gergö Fazekas made it 28:24 in the 56th minute. Plock’s defence adapted perfectly to PSG’s attack, frustrating the hosts. Paris, initially shocked by a 4:8 deficit, turned the game around but could never regain control in the closing stages, as Plock’s defensive wall stood firm.

Despite Luc Steins and Ferran Solé each scoring seven goals for PSG, it was not enough to prevent their second consecutive home defeat, following their 34:37 loss to Berlin before the break.

Main photo: © Team Pics / PSG