The Teams To Watch In The Men’s EHF Champions League

From reigning champions to dark horses. Here are the teams to watch in this season’s Champions League.

(Image Credits to EHF Champions League)

The race for European glory is almost back on. With reigning champions, ambitious contenders and a few dark horses all facing off in the new format, this season’s Champions League is promising plenty of high-level handball. But which teams should you be watching?

Teams to Watch:

The winner from last season, FC Barcelona, will of course be a team to look for. With 13 Champions League titles to their name, Barça are one of the most successful teams in the competition's history.

The runner-ups, SC Magdeburg, are going into this season as one of the favorites. Their incredibly fast-attacking transitions and counter-attacks make them very hard to beat.

With players like Mathias Gidsel and Andreas Palicka, Füchse Berlin is another team looking to have a strong season. They almost always deliver some of the best high-tempo handball in Europe.

Aalborg Håndbold, are hoping to finally redeem themselves after losing out to the gold medal in 2021 and 2024 and failing to make it onto the finale last season.

The Hungarian champions, One Veszprém HC - under their new sponsorship - is known for having one of the most intimidating home crowds and with a coach that has guided FC Barcelona to win it three times, they will be hoping for a strong season.

Paris Saint-Germain have been chasing the ultimate Champions League title for years, but their main talking point is their coaching staff with Danish Stefan Madsen as head coach while being assisted by legendary former defender Henrik Mølgaard. 

The polish team, Industria Kielce, is famous for their unmatched iron and tactical brilliance and although the team has suffered from a lot of injuries and financial struggles, the team always perfume best under pressure.

The last team to watch is FC Porto. They will be entering the tournament as the ultimate dark horse. They are known for confusing opponents with their unpredictable 7-on-6 play, but with the new format they are left with no safety net.

Matches On The 9th Of September (All timings in CEST):

Vive Kielce vs HC Kriens | 18:45

RK Zagreb vs Celje Pivovarna Lasko | 18:45

Aalborg Håndbold vs Paris Handball | 18:45

Veszprem vs Porto | 18:45

SC Magdeburg vs Kolstad | 20:45

HBC Nantes vs Orlen Wisla Plock | 20:45

FC Barcelona vs Skanderborg AGF Håndbold | 20:45

Article Written by Laura Friis