First-time meetings and an early return match

With nine matches ahead on Tuesday, the EHF European League Men group phase continues its journey across Europe.

In the only match in group A, Toulouse and Leon will meet again a little earlier than expected, while several first-time duels are on the menu in the remaining three groups.

GROUP A
Fenix Toulouse Handball (FRA) vs Abanca Ademar Leon (ESP)
Tuesday 24 November, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com

• the teams met in round 2 and the game ended in a 26:26 draw
• since then, Toulouse have loaned Dutch playmaker Luc Steins to Paris Saint-Germain for the rest of the season. Sadou N’Tanzi, coming from PSG, will replace him
• after two consecutive losses, Toulouse won against Créteil (30:29) in the French League on Friday, while Leon enjoyed three victories last week: two in the Asobal league and one in the European League
• both teams’ top scorers have netted 15 in the European League: Toulouse’s Henrik Jakobsen and Leon’s Ruben Marchan Criado

GROUP B
Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) vs USAM Nimes (FRA)  
Tuesday 24 November, 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com

• Dinamo Bucuresti have not played for a month due to Covid-19
• USAM Nimes collected an impressive win (25:33) on Ivry’s home court over the weekend
• Dinamo Bucuresti and USAM Nimes come into this round after defeats in the previous EHF European League match
• Mohamed Mamdouh (Dinamo) and Mohamed Sanad (USAM Nimes) play together for Egypt, along with new national team joiner, Youth World Championship 2019 MVP Ahmed Hesham (also Nimes)

Füchse Berlin (GER) vs TATRAN Presov (SVK)
Tuesday 24 November, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com

• Füchse Berlin, winners of the EHF Cup in 2015 and 2018 and runners-up in 2019, have been invincible in the European League so far this season
• TATRAN Presov, Slovakian champions since 2006/07, have nine victories in nine games in the domestic championship
• in contrast, Füchse Berlin have already lost twice in the Bundesliga this season
• TATRAN Presov have an incredible heterogeneity in their squad, with players of nine different nationalities

IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs Sporting CP (POR)
Tuesday 24 November, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com

• IFK Kristianstad won the last game in this competition by a one-goal margin in France vs Nimes, 25:24
• Sporting CP have played and won one game in the EHF European League so far
• both teams arrive from defeats in their domestic championships over the weekend; Sporting CP lost for the first time this season against FC Porto

GROUP C
HC CSKA (RUS) vs RK Nexe (CRO)
Tuesday 24 November, 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com

• this match is the first in European competitions between the teams
• Nexe want to get back on the winning track after a good season opener against Alingsas, while CSKA still wait for their first points in the European League
• the club from Nasice is complete after Mario Tomic’s comeback; they are only missing Marko Buvinic, who is out for the rest of the season
• CSKA will be complete against Nexe, after missing four players in the last round, with the possible exception of Dmitry Ilchenko, who suffered an injury against Magdeburg
• after a European League loss against Magdeburg, CSKA won versus Kaustik-Volgograd in the domestic league and are currently third on that points table

Alingsas HK (SWE) vs SC Magdeburg (GER)
Tuesday 24 November, 18:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com

• Tuesday will bring the first match between these two clubs
• both teams have had a taste of victory, Magdeburg winning two and Alingsas winning one so far
• Alingsas had a busy week in the Swedish League, playing two matches in four days and losing both to Aranas and Varberg
• the home team are still missing Daniel Blomgren and Gustav Skagerling, while Johan Nilsson and team captatin Niclas Barud are out for the season
• the German side are currently seventh on the Bundesliga table. Their last two matches were postponed (against Melsungen and TuSEM Essen)

Montpellier HB (FRA) vs Besiktas Aygaz (TUR)
Tuesday 24 November, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com

• the teams have met two times before – in the EHF Champions League 2017/18 both teams secured one win (Besiktas vs Montpellier 32:36; Montpellier vs Besiktas 28:33)
• Montpellier will go for their second win this season, while Besiktas still sit on the bottom of the table
• the French team are back on track in the French League, most recently winning against Tremblay for their fourth victory out of six matches. They are currently third
• Besiktas are still without points in the EHF European League, while in Turkey they were most recently convincing against Güneysuspor for third place in their domestic league

GROUP D

Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER) vs HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD)
Tuesday 24 November, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV.com

• Löwen had their first group match last week with an easy win at GOG, while Pelister have let two leads slip through their hands at GOG (29:30) and Schaffhausen (25:25)
• the sides have never played an official match against each other before
• Löwen’s last Bundesliga match against Minden was postponed due to Covid-19, therefore, they lost the top position
• Pelister have not started their SEHA League campaign yet
• while Jesper Nielsen had his comeback for Löwen at GOG, both goalkeepers (Mikael Appelgren and Andras Palicka) are still ruled out
• Pelister’s new arrivals Stipe Mandalinic (previously Berlin) and Josip Peric (Göppingen) return to Germany with their new club