Top clashes to open group phase

A total of 24 teams battling for 16 spots in the knockout stage: This is what it is all about in the group phase of the inaugural EHF European League Men 2020/21, which throws off on Tuesday.

The long journey to the Last 16, scheduled for March 2021, begins with some highly-anticipated matches, including Dinamo Bucuresti vs Sporting CP, Füchse Berlin vs IFK Kristianstad, and Kadetten Schaffhausen vs GOG.

All matches on Tuesday will be streamed live on EHFTV.

GROUP A

Fenix Toulouse Handball (FRA) vs HC Metalurg (MKD)
Tuesday 20 October, 18:45 CEST

• first time both teams play each other in a European competition
• while Metalurg have been regulars in Europe since 2003, Toulouse return after six years for their first appearance since the EHF Cup 2014/15
• in qualification, Metalurg won both home games but lost both away games
• Toulouse lost their last four games in the French league and are ranked second to last

ORLEN Wisla Plock (POL) vs Fivers (AUT)
Tuesday 20 October, 20:45 CEST

• Fivers have made it past the third qualification round of any European competition for the first time
• the teams have not met before in a European competition
• Plock play only their first game in a month’s time
• Fivers suffered their first defeat in the domestic Austrian league this weekend, losing to Handball Tirol by a single goal (31:30)

GROUP B

TATRAN Presov (SVK) vs USAM Nimes Gard (FRA)
Tuesday 20 October, 20:45 CEST

• Nimes goalkeeper Téodor Paul will visit his native Slovakia
• Presov, Slovakian champions since 2006/07, are still unbeaten this season in the domestic league
• Nimes are struggling in the French league, with two defeats and a draw in their last three games

Füchse Berlin (GER) vs IFK Kristianstad (SWE)
Tuesday 20 October, 20:45 CEST

• Füchse, EHF Cup winners in 2015 and 2018 and runners-up in 2019, are among the main title contenders
• Kristianstad are one of five teams from CL 2019/20 group D to play in the European League group phase
• Füchse defeated Hannover-Burgdorf 31:27 in their most recent Bundesliga game
• Kristianstad are leading the Swedish league with 11 wins from as many games

GROUP C

Alingsas HK (SWE) - RK Nexe (CRO)
Tuesday 20 October, 18:45 CEST

• this match is the first between the two teams
• Alingsas lost and had a draw in their last two games in the Swedish league and are now ranked fourth
• Nexe are not playing in the Croatian league but in the international SEHA League
• Nexe’s Marko Buvinic suffered a knee injury in qualification and is out for the season

Besiktas Aygaz (TUR) - SC Magdeburg (GER)
Tuesday 20 October, 18:45 CEST

• The teams also met in the EHF Cup 2012/13 season, with Magdeburg winning both matches
• Magdeburg will play their 248th European match in the club’s history
• 39-year-old Besiktas team captain Ramazan Döne enters his 13th European season with the club
• Magdeburg have been hit by injuries but won three of their four Bundesliga games so far

GROUP D

Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI) vs GOG (DEN)
Tuesday 20 October, 18:45 CEST

• new Kadetten coach Adalsteinn Eyjólfsson previously led Icelandic side Vestmannaeyja in the Women’s Challenge Cup 2003/04
• GOG also played a Swiss team in qualification, Pfadi Winterthur
• both sides have signed a line player from a Bundesliga team: Kadetten added Magdeburg’s Erik Schmidt, GOG Flensburg’s Anders Zachariassen
• GOG will miss Morten Olsen for a while after finger surgery
• Kadetten top the Swiss league with seven wins from nine matches; GOG are still undefeated in the Danish league with six wins and two draws