LIVE BLOG: Kiel lead Montpellier in intense first semi-final
The long-awaited Winamax EHF Finals 2026 at Barclays Arena in Hamburg is finally ready for throw-off. In the semi-finals on Saturday, Montpellier Handball play THW Kiel and MT Melsungen are up against defending champions SG Flensburg-Handewitt as the road to the EHF European League Men trophy enters its final stretch.
Winamax EHF Finals 2026 live blog
- semi-finals on Saturday:
- running now — Montpellier Handball (FRA) vs THW Kiel (GER) (12:15 at HT)
- starting at 15:30 CEST — MT Melsungen (GER) vs SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) - read the semi-final preview
- day tickets for Sunday are available HERE.
- follow the official EHF European League socials on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and the Home of Handball channels on TikTok and YouTube
- find out where to watch the Winamax EHF Finals 2026
- or get yourself DAY TICKETS FOR SUNDAY and come join us in Hamburg; prices range from €125 (Premium) to €95 - 70 - 37,50 (Cat. 1-2-3)
- Eric Willemsen reporting from Hamburg; photos © kolektiff
Saturday 30 May 2026
Winamax EHF Finals 2026 — semi-finals
12:07
Good to see Diego Simonet on the court and taking part in the Montpellier warmups. There have been some questions about his fitness and ability to play here, but he is on the match sheet and so far nothing seems in the way of the Argentine star having a great final weekend of his handball career — eight years after leading Montpellier to that sensational EHF Champions League triumph!
12:00
Half an hour left until throw-off, the door to the Winamax EHF Finals 2026 is open!
11:56
"We are going to leave everything on the pitch."
In a court-side interview with Markus Floth, head coach Filip Jicha leaves no doubt about Kiel's intentions today.
"Next time maybe we can apply to play in the German Bundesliga."
His counterpart, Érick Mathé, shows his humour when asked by Hannah Jackson about Montpellier facing three German opponents at the EHF Finals for the second straight year.
11:34
We are just under an hour away from throw-off and things are getting serious. Barclays Arena is slowly but steadily filling up and the teams of Montpellier and Kiel have arrived and briefly stepped on court.
11:15
In one hour from now, the first spectacular opening show will raise the curtain for the Winamax EHF Finals 2026. And at 12:30, Montpellier and Kiel will get the semi-finals underway.
What a match we have in prospect between those multiple EHF Champions League winners, who have treated us to some breath-taking matches in recent years. Who remembers the Machineseeker EHF Champions League quarter-finals two years ago, when Montpellier won the first leg by nine at home (39:30) before Kiel hit back and won the return leg by 10 (31:21)? Or the semi-final here in Hamburg last year, when Montpellier came out on top, 32:31, thanks to that buzzer-beater from Ahmed Hesham?
Overall, Kiel lead the head-to-head after 14 duels since 1999 with 10 wins against four for Montpellier. And don't forgetr, the teams already met in the group matches last autumn, with Kiel winning both away and at home.
11:04
Montpellier vs Kiel and Melsungen vs Flensburg... sounds familiar to you? No wonder, as those semi-finals are the same pairings as we had a year ago at this stage of the competition. Both semi-finals were extremely close, so let me point out what happens in case a match this weekend is level after 60 minutes.
The official rules say:
If a semi-final match or the final ends in a draw, there will be a five minutes break followed by one overtime of 2 x 5 minutes, there will be a one minute half time break at half time for the changeover of teams. If there is still a draw after one overtime, the match will be decided by penalty throws.
If the 3rd place match ends in a draw, there shall be no overtime, the match will be decided directly by penalty throws.
All clear? Let's go!
10:54
Before we have a closer look at our two semi-finals, you might wonder why we start so unusually early today, with the matches throwing off at 12:30 and 15:30 CEST, respectively. The answer is simple: at 18:00 CEST, the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal kicks off in Budapest, and by wrapping up our semi-finals in Hamburg in time, we can make sure sports fans can enjoy both the handball and football highlights today.
10:41
The fans are not in yet but otherwise Barclays Arena looks all ready to welcome the four teams to the court for the semi-finals today: French powerhouse Montpellier and giant German trio Kiel, Melsungen and Flensburg.
Three German teams in the semi-finals is no coincidence when we look at the history of Europe's second-tier club competition. Since 2010, the EHF European League and its predecessors EHF Cup and Cup Winners' Cup have not been won by a team from Germany only twice: Hungarian side Szeged triumphed in 2014, Portuguese proud Benfica in 2022.
Can Montpellier become the third?
Who will lift the trophy? 🏆 #ehffinals #ehfel #elm #handball pic.twitter.com/nfWvwvho5Q
— EHF European League (@ehfel_official) May 30, 2026
10:30
Moin! Good morning from Hamburg! Welcome to the live blog covering the semi-final day at the Winamax EHF Finals 2026 here at Barclays Arena in Hamburg.
Four teams know they are only one win away from playing Sunday's final. Who are going to play for the title tomorrow evening? In the first semi-final today it is Montpellier against Kiel, then Melsungen and Flensburg battle it out for the second spot in the gold medal match.
Here is all you need to know about the two semi-finals, in the preview from EHF journalist Björn Pazen:
