Paris
A few months after winning their fifth continental title in Cologne, Magdeburg have sent a clear message to their rivals. With seven wins in as many games, the Germans are more determined than ever to retain their crown. Bennet Wiegert's side did not falter against Zagreb, who suffered their seventh defeat in a row (27-22). The Croatians' hopes of qualifying for the play-offs seem to be fading with each passing week, as they now trail GOG, the last team provisionally qualified for the final phase, by six points.
It was the same story for Barcelona, who came out of their double-header against Plock with smiles on their faces. Tied with the Poles at the start of Matchday 6, the Catalans delivered a perfect performance at the Plock Arena before the break (24-34), before once again containing Melvyn Richardson's attacks to win by a narrow margin on Thursday (30-24).
After qualifying for Europe's top competition for the third consecutive season, Pelister are establishing themselves as serious contenders for an historic play-off qualification. After handing torrid evenings to Paris (33-27) and Barcelona (30-34), the Macedonians finally managed to defeat a European powerhouse. In an electric atmosphere, Ruben Garabaya's men prevailed in the final seconds against Szeged (25-24). This crucial victory puts them back in the race for the play-offs.
The impact on the standings this matchday was more in terms of points than position. The only change to note is that our Rouge et Bleus climbed from sixth to fifth thanks to a better goal difference than GOG. However, results elsewhere have allowed the capital club to draw level with Szeged and move within two points of Plock, who both lost this week. Pelister remains in contention, though, as they are only two points behind the trio of Szeged, Paris and GOG.
Mercredi soir, les Rouge et Bleu défieront Barcelone à domicile à l'occasion d'un des chocs les plus attendus de la saison à Coubertin. Les derniers billets sont disponibles sur la billetterie, et l'ambiance s'annonce exceptionnelle pour encourager les hommes de Stefan Madsen. Plus tôt dans la soirée, Zagreb affrontera de nouveau Magdebourg, avec l'espoir d'avoir plus de réussite à domicile pour stopper le sans-faute des Allemands. Jeudi, Szeged tentera de prendre sa revanche contre Pelister, tandis que GOG et Plock auront tous deux à coeur de se relancer pour se rapprocher de leurs objectifs.
