Melsungen, though, left it late in their 33:29 home victory over IFK Kristianstad, as the visitors from Sweden were still leading by two goals (27:25) but then scored only two more in the last 12 minutes of this group III match.
Elsewhere in a duel between two former EHF Champions League winners, Montpellier Handball defeated IRUDEK Bidasoa Irun 38:33 as Montpellier's Spanish right wing David Balaguer scored 10 times against the club from his native country.
Elverum Håndball, SAH - Aarhus, Sport Lisboa e Benfica, and Recken - TSV Hannover-Burgdorf were the other teams enjoying a winning start into the main round on Tuesday evening.
HIGHLIGHT MATCHES
GROUP I
Kiel had not beaten Flensburg in any competition since 2021 and there were not many signs early on in their European duel that this might change on Tuesday. Nothing separated the teams in the first quarter with the score 6:6 after 15 minutes, as neither Flensburg nor Kiel had enjoyed a lead of more than one goal at that time. That changed quickly, though, when the hosts surged ahead by three (11:8) after 22 minutes, forcing Kiel coach Filip Jicha to take a team timeout. Flensburg initially even went four ahead when Patrick Volz scored for a second time within a minute to make it 14:10, but Kiel clawed their way back and reduced the gap to just two before the break.
And Kiel started the second half in the same, efficient manner with a more tightened defence. In the 36th minute, Rune Dahmke put them into the lead (18:17) for the first time since Mohab Abdelhak had opened the scoring in the second minute of the match. This time, Kiel went up by three goals (23:20), also thanks to goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, who raised his safe rate to above 30 percentage in the second half. In the tense closing stages, Flensburg came back within one goal several times, but never managed an equaliser as Wolff stood in their way at most opportunities. Emil Jakobsen led for the defending champions with 10 goals, while Mykola Bilyka and Imre Bence netted seven each for Kiel.
