The EHF Champions League group stage definitely lived up to expectations, right to the very end. Playing a perfect match in front of their home crowd on Wednesday evening, Paris Saint-Germain dominated reigning European champions Magdeburg (34-26) to secure fourth place in Group B.
Stefan Madsen's men had a brilliant start to the year in Europe, beating Zagreb (24-35) and Szeged (29-28) before conceding a cruel last-minute draw to Pelister (34-34). However, this disappointment was quickly forgotten with a solid victory over Magdeburg on the final matchday. This run saw the capital club climb from sixth place to fourth in the space of four matchdays.
This fourth-placed finish was significant, as it means playing the return leg of the play-offs at home. In theory, this is an advantage that will need to be confirmed against Veszprem, who finished fifth in Group A following a final defeat against Aalborg (33-38), and Nantes' victory in Berlin (34-37) on Thursday.
To say that the Hungarian team is a familiar opponent for Paris is an understatement, as it will become the team that Paris Saint-Germain Handball has faced the most in Champions League history. Currently, the Parisians have crossed swords with Veszprem 18 times in Europe's premier competition, one fewer than versus Kiel.
The Parisians will be keen to even the score against Xavi Pascual's side, having recorded eight wins, one draw and nine defeats against the Hungarians so far. The capital club will therefore need to be at their best to reach the quarter-finals, where they would face Group A winners Füchse Berlin.
The last time Paris and Veszprem met in the final phase was in the 2019-2020 season, when the Parisians dominated their opponents to take third place at the Final4 in Cologne. Although they have already met twice in the Final4 (2016-2017 and 2019-2020) and in the quarter-finals (2013-2014 and 2014-2015), the two teams are set to face each other in the play-offs for the first time.
Road to Cologne is set! 🔥
— EHF Champions League (@ehfcl) March 12, 2026
Which 4️⃣ teams will arrive to the #ehffinal4 ? 🤔#ehfcl #clm #handball pic.twitter.com/61meSY6If2