Kadetten overthrow mighty Füchse; thrilling draw at Sporting
Eight teams remain in the EHF European League Men and the first big step to reducing them to four semi-finalists took place on Tuesday night, when the first-leg quarter-finals took place. Next Tuesday, April 18, the second-leg quarter-finals await.
We’ve been the better team today. Our defence was solid and [goalkeeper] Marin Sego helped us to stop the power of Nexe. We were ready to fight for every ball to get a good position for the second match. It will be a tense atmosphere.
22:27 RESULT | SPORTING CP VS MONTPELLIER 32:32
A thriller to the end — Sporting right wing Francisco Tavares nets with seconds on the clock to secure a draw for Sporting after Montpellier come from behind to take the lead inside the last two minutes. In the end, nothing could separate the teams tonight. Will it be a different story next week or will we see another rollercoaster on the way to the semi-finals?
22:15 RESULT | GÖPPINGEN VS RK NEXE 32:23
A decisive victory for Frisch Auf Göppingen sets the German side up for the second leg away in Croatia nicely, while Nexe face a huge comeback task.
22:10
Three goals in a row — two from Martim Costa — take Sporting from a level 27:27 versus Montpellier to a 30:27 advantage as the clock ticks into the final 10 minutes. Are Sporting on the way to the critical home victory?
It's a hot atmosphere for Montpellier in these final stages and Sporting are really making the most of their vocal home crowd.
21:54
Timeout in Portugal as Montpellier sit one goal behind Sporting, 23:24, at the 40-minute mark. One key statistic varies greatly between the sides — Montpellier have a far higher shot percentage than Sporting, with 77 per cent throughout the game against Sporting's 64 per cent. The difference is that Montpellier were hurt by turnovers in the first half, during which they recorded 11, and it does not look like they have cleaned that up completely with four already in the second period. In comparison, Sporting have caused only six turnovers so far in the game.
Meanwhile in Germany, Göppingen have hit a 10-goal gap, now leading 24:14, with still 15 minutes to go. It seems the chance is all but gone for Nexe to take the win, but the score line is valuable, so the Croatian team will no doubt give their all to reduce the deficit as far as possible while the challenge for Göppingen is to keep their concentration despite their commanding lead.
21:48
With roughly 20 minutes on the clock in Göppingen, the task is looking difficult for RK Nexe. The first 10 minutes of the second half are a critical window in which to mount a comeback, but the Croatian side have not managed that so far and the German team are flirting with a 10-goal lead as Marcel Schiller takes them to 21:13 in front.
Over in Portugal, it remains an edge-of-the-seat game, with the score level at 21:21 in the 37th minute.
21:35
If Sporting can take the win against Montpellier, it will be only their second in history. The Portuguese team have won only once in six previous confrontations with Montpellier — and it was almost 30 years ago, in 1996.
Brothers Martim and Francisco Costa are leading the charge for Sporting tonight, having scored four and five goals, respectively. The duo therefore remain in fourth and fifth place on the top scorer chart for the season, with both now past the 90-goal mark.
21:25 HALF-TIME UPDATE | SPORTING CP VS MONTPELLIER 18:17
A one-goal game at half-time in Portugal. Martim Costa nets his fourth goal right before the whistle to pull Sporting ahead after a very close half. Through the last 15 minutes, the edge has mostly been with the home side — but their visitors are not making it easy.
21:22 HALF-TIME UPDATE | GÖPPINGEN VS NEXE 15:9
Göppingen take a very promising six-goal lead into the break on their home court. Nexe must find a way to come back in order to keep the deficit more manageable ahead of their home leg of the quarter-final — but Göppingen certainly want to create the clearest gap they can with their own crowd behind them. A tough 30 minutes coming up.
21:12
Two completely different matches are unfolding — in Portugal, the score is level at 12:12 in the 21st minute as Sporting and Montpellier play a tight game.
In Germany, Göppingen have streaked ahead to lead Nexe 11:7 at the 25-minute mark. After 7:6 in the 18th minute, Nexe could not find the score board for five minutes, opening the door for Göppingen to create a comfortable cushion.
20:56
We near the 10-minute mark in both quarter-finals now live and Nexe leading Göppingen 4:3 while Sporting and Montpellier are level at 5:5.
RK Nexe are the only side from last season's semi-finalists contesting the 2022/23 quarter-finals, while Göppingen, who won the European League's predecessor the EHF Cup four times, are playing the European League for the first time.
Göppingen took wins in both legs of their Last 16 clash this season, overcoming Valur 69:60. Nexe defeated Motor 54:52 on aggregate, thanks to the lead gained in their 27:23 victory in the first leg. They lost the second leg by two goals.
The teams have met twice before, in the 2017/18 season, with the German side winning both matches.
Nexe are known for their strong defence, which has led to them conceding the second lowest number of goals in the season — an average of 27.75.
20:39
Two thrilling first-leg quarter-finals down, two to go. Coming up next, at 20:45 CEST:
- Frisch Auf Göppingen vs RK Nexe
- Sporting CP vs Montpellier HB
Join us live on EHFTV now.
20:31
Speaking of goals, Kadetten were clearly led on the score board by Odinn Thor Rikhardsson, who netted an incredible 15 goals — and missed only one — to now sit first in the season's top scorer race. His tally now stands at 104. Next closest still in the competition are the Sporting duo, brothers Martim and Francisco Costa, who count 90 and 86 goals, respectively.
Sporting are taking on Montpellier in the next set of quarter-finals coming up at 20:45 CEST. Will the brothers manage a superhuman effort like Rikhardsson's?
Let's not forget the other end of the court though — Rikhardsson's teammate Kristian Pilipovic deliverd a huge game in goal, with 16 saves.
20:27
No question it's the goal of the night so far — below, enjoy Antonio Garcia's post-buzzer nine-metre hammer, which secured Granollers the narrowest of deficits to fight back from in the second leg.
We go to Germany [for the second leg] with an open tie. We would not have imagined it and we have to believe it and we have earned to be where we are.
The key point was at 28:28. At some points the guys played too hastily, but I have to say that they showed an outstanding game. The 3,500 spectators inspired us and gave us some extra power. We fly to Berlin to fight for the final four!
20:24 RESULT | KADETTEN VS FÜCHSE BERLIN 37:33
An incredible victory for Kadetten Schaffhausen, who become the first in the season to defeat Füchse Berlin — and right when it really counts. The Swiss side will take an important four-goal lead into the reverse fixture in Germany next week.
20:13 RESULT | GRANOLLERS VS FLENSBURG 30:31
The narrowest of wins for Flensburg, as Granollers' Antonio Garcia nets a post-buzzer nine metre throw to reduce the gap to just one goal. A defeat but one the Spanish side leave the court pleased with, as they leave the court with the prospects for the second leg essentially wide open.
19:53
Near the final quarter on both courts and the two matches remain completely open. At Granollers, Flensburg currently lead by one, 25:24, in the 46th minute. At Kadetten, the home side can certainly feel some hope as they lead 27:24 in the 43rd.
There is a long way to go yet — over 75 minutes to decide the aggregate winners — but if Kadetten can manage a victory and proceed to the EHF Finals it would be their first semi-final participation in a European cup competition since 2010, when they played the final of the EHF Cup.
19:39
We are back for the second halves of the opening quarter-final encounters, with Kadetten hoping to hang on to their narrow lead over Berlin while Granollers target a comeback on the home court against Flensburg.
Catch it all live on EHFTV.com.
19:30
Eight goals in 30 minutes for Kadetten wing Odinn Thor Rikhardsson — what a performance from the wing. In one half, Rikhardsson has climbed to second place on the season's top scorer list, with 97 now (alongside Motor's Ihor Turchenko), and is only two behind the leader Bence Nagy from FTC.
Can he reach 100 in this match?
19:25 HALF-TIME UPDATE | KADETTEN VS FÜCHSE BERLIN 19:18
It's a very tight clash unfolding in Switzerland. Kadetten snatch the upper hand right before the break thanks to Odinn Thor Rikhardsson's eighth goal.
19:23 HALF-TIME UPDATE | GRANOLLERS VS FLENSBURG 14:17
They had the lead through the last 20 minutes of the half pretty consistently, but two consecutive goals right before half-time open it up in Flensburg's favour. The German side go to the break with a promising three-goal advantage.
19:09
20 minutes gone on two courts and we have almost identical scores — 12:11 for Flensburg at Granollers and 13:11 for Berlin at Kadetten.
Kadetten wing Odinn Thor Rikhardsson has added four goals to his season tally, which now sits at 93. He entered the game as the fourth top scorer of the season and the second still in the competition. Rikhardsson's efficiency is beyond anyone else on the top scorer list, with a huge average of 80.3 per cent of his attempts converted into goals.
18:58
The pace in Granollers is hectic, where we've already seen 15 goals scored as Flensburg hold the edge at 8:7 on the 11-minute mark. It's no surprise considering Flensburg have the highest average number of goals scored per match in the season, with 33.9. Granollers are matching them well so far but the scoring efficiency (53 per cent for the Spanish side vs 69 per cent for the German guests) points to a potential problem as the clock ticks on.
At Kadetten, Berlin are consistently holding the advantage, after starting with this hammer of a goal from Lasse Andersson to open the game:
18:50
We are underway with the first quarter-finals, where we've seen a fast-paced opening in Granollers with eight goals scored in the first five minutes. It's currently 5:4 to the home side against Flensburg.
A much more measured pace in Switzerland, where Kadetten and Füchse are level at 2:2 at the five-minute mark.
18:41
It's time to join us on EHFTV, with throw-off in two games imminent:
- Fraikin BM. Granollers vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt
- Kadetten Schaffhausen vs Füchse Berlin
18:34
Jumping over to Switzerland now, where Kadetten Schaffhausen are hosting Füchse Berlin in the other match starting at 18:45 CEST.
Both teams in this encounter enjoyed emphatic aggregate wins in the Last 16 stage, with Berlin beating Skjern 66:55 across the two legs and Kadetten defeating Ystads 65:57. However, Füchse have an undeniably stronger winning record in the season, with all 12 games won and no other side matching this feat.
Another commonality between the sides is the fact neither made it past the quarter-finals last season. Berlin were eliminated in the Last 16, while Kadetten bowed out in the quarter-finals.
The teams have met only twice before — 10 seasons ago in the EHF Champions League group phase.
18:23
Let's dive in to some specifics about the upcoming quarter-finals, starting with Granollers vs Flensburg — throwing off at 18:45 CEST.
Flensburg are in top, top form, coming into the quarter-finals on the back of 20 straight games unbeaten, across all competitions. Of those 20 games, two were draws and the others outright victories. Flensburg enjoyed a commanding aggregate win against Benfica in the Last 16, 72:54.
Granollers came into the knockout stage as the third-ranked team in their group, having won all their home matches in group phase, but also losing three games and drawing once. In the Last 16, they defeated Skanderborg-Aarhus 62:59 on aggregate, though they were defeated in the first leg at home before turning it around away.
On top of Flensburg's great form, they count another huge ace up their sleeve: the return of EHF EURO 2022 MVP Jim Gottfridsson. Another individual headlining for Flensburg has been goalkeeper Benjamin Buric, who has the second-highest save rate across the season, with an average of 35.3 per cent and 125 saves made.
18:05
It's the final obstacle before the ultimate showdown for the title at the EHF Finals Men — the quarter-finals!
Tonight the eight teams battling for the tickets to the Finals in Flensburg will play the first legs of the quarter-finals, with the reverse fixtures that will see the winners decided to be played one week from today. All matches will be streamed live on EHFTV.
Here's what's coming up tonight:
Below, find the round preview, where you can learn all the key facts surrounding tonight's encounters.
