The new Champions League format has already produced plenty of drama, with every group match carrying added importance. As the competition enters its third round, we asked four experts to assess the new format, identify the teams and players standing out so far, and pick the match-ups they are most looking forward to.
To get an expert perspective on the third round, we turned to four handball figures with extensive experience from the European game.
Magnus Andersson is the former FC Porto head coach and current Norway men’s national team coach, with decades of experience at the highest level as both a player and coach.
Jesper Konradsson is a Swedish former international and captain of Sønderjyske, bringing extensive experience from top-level European handball.
Björn Pazen is a long-time handball journalist with extensive experience covering the Bundesliga, European competitions and major international tournaments.
Hen Livgot is a former international and professional player, and the founder of Victory in Play, where he works with players and clubs across European handball.
What is your opinion on the new format? Pros and cons?
Magnus Andersson:
“I think the idea was to remove uninteresting games, but I’m not sure that has happened so far. The groups are still uneven. I follow Porto particularly closely, and they were unlucky to end up in a group with both Veszprém and Berlin, which makes it difficult for them to progress.
Of course, it could also make for a more exciting European League. Personally, I would have been happy to keep the old system, but I also understand why they decided to change it.”
Jesper Konradsson:
“I’m very much in favour of the new system, with more teams and four-team groups. The games are immediately important if you want to progress, and you cannot afford to have an off night. It’s also good that the third-placed team in each group can qualify for the European League. That adds another layer and keeps things interesting all the way through.”
Björn Pazen:
“For me, the new playing system is a big step forward compared to the previous one. With six group matches, the significance of every game is much higher than in the previous 14-round format, where more or less the main question was which team would finish sixth. And the 12 teams that exit early still have the chance to win the European League, which clearly improves the second-tier competition. There are no cons for me in the new system, although some matches have been quite one-sided.”
Hen Livgot:
“Overall, I like the new format. More clubs and countries get Champions League exposure, the shorter group stage makes every match more important, and emerging players get more opportunities to compete at the highest level. Personally, I would go even further. I like the football model, where every domestic champion has a pathway to the Champions League through the qualification rounds. I think handball could benefit from the same approach by giving smaller handball nations more exposure and creating opportunities for unexpected stories.
The main downside is that expansion can reduce the exclusivity of the Champions League and create bigger quality gaps. Six group matches also leave very little room for mistakes.
So overall, I like the direction, but I would prefer a broader qualification system rather than simply expanding the main competition.”
Which team have impressed you the most so far, and why?
Magnus Andersson:
“Veszprém look incredibly strong, as we also saw at the Super Globe when they beat Barcelona in the final. Now we will see if they can put everything together in the end, which they haven’t always managed to do. Sporting are also an interesting team to follow. But otherwise, it seems that the big teams are doing what they are supposed to do.”
Jesper Konradsson:
“Veszprém, also because of their win at the Super Globe. Emil Nielsen is the best handball player in the world and will take Veszprém to at least the Final4, and perhaps even to the title.”
Björn Pazen:
“Definitely Veszprém! Not only because they beat Füchse in Berlin and then again in Cairo, but mainly because of the way they won the Club World Championship final, leaving Barcelona without a chance after 64 unbeaten matches in a row in all competitions. As predicted before the season, the signing of Emil Nielsen could be worth gold, and the Egyptian players are getting more and more into the spotlight.
Besides that, Group B is truly impressive. The biggest margin in four matches has been two goals between Nantes, Plock, Melsungen and Vardar. This group is really rock’n’roll. And then there is GOG, with their new dream duo Manuel Zehnder and Óli Mittún. They can go really far this season.
Talking about a single player, it is Swiss Noam Leopold, who is not only HBC’s top scorer but has also scored the winning goal twice in the final second.”
Hen Livgot:
“Veszprém have impressed me the most so far.
They are obviously one of the top teams in Europe, so it is no surprise to see them winning. But their 35:29 away win against Füchse Berlin really impressed me. Berlin may not have had the best start to the season, but they are still a very powerful team and a strong European club, especially at home.
For me, the way Veszprém won that game was very impressive.”
Any disappointing teams or players?
Magnus Andersson:
“I would say Szeged’s loss against GOG was a little unexpected if you only look at the teams on paper. On the other hand, GOG also beat Aalborg by 12 goals the other day. But considering the budget Szeged have, it surprised me, even though GOG are a fun team to watch.”
Jesper Konradsson:
“It’s probably not that surprising that they would struggle, but Kristianstad and Kolstad haven’t been able to put up much of a fight. It was quite clear that they would struggle to win a game. But all of their respective matches have effectively been decided by half-time, and that is disappointing.”
Björn Pazen:
“As expected, Füchse Berlin are not flying as high as they did last season – the loss of Lasse Andersson is a big burden, although they have now found an interim solution with Aymeric Zaepfel. Like last season, Kolstad seem to be far behind their international ambitions, while Partizan’s high hopes have been shattered twice.”
Hen Livgot:
“Kolstad have been disappointing for me so far. Of course, they had a very difficult start against Magdeburg and Kielce, two of the strongest teams in Europe, but I still expected them to be much more competitive. Two defeats and a -22 goal difference after only two games is a difficult start for a club with their experience and ambitions.”
Which match-up are you most looking forward to in this round?
Magnus Andersson:
“I’ll be in Berlin on Thursday and in Szeged on Saturday, partly to watch my Portuguese clubs, but above all to meet Magnus Rød in Szeged and Tobias Grøndahl in Berlin. I obviously follow those two a little extra closely. It will also be interesting to see how Aalborg react when they face Zagreb after their defeat against GOG last time out. That match is hugely important for Aalborg.”
Jesper Konradsson:
“Szeged vs Sporting will probably be the most exciting game, with Szeged having their backs against the wall. Skanderborg vs Montpellier and Melsungen vs Nantes could also be great games.”
Björn Pazen:
“Szeged vs Sporting – as I am sure that the Costa brothers will try everything this season to bring their team to Cologne before they move to Flensburg. Szeged are a bit with their backs against the wall after their defeat against GOG already, so this duel should guarantee plenty of thrills – just like the one in Kielce, the rematch of the 2023 Champions League final. Magdeburg look quite strong, but now they have their first international tests. As both sides are expected to progress to the main round, this duel is already about collecting points towards the quarter-finals.”
Hen Livgot:
“Kielce against Magdeburg. Both teams started with two wins, and Kielce at home against Magdeburg is always a great match to watch. They have a lot of history between them, including the 2023 Champions League final, and I think this will be the highest-level match of the round.”