Magdeburg and Barcelona show strength; Nantes wins thriller 26–25
Magdeburg trounced Kolstad 37:22, Barcelona defeated Aarhus 39:28, and Nantes won 26:25 with a late Leopold goal.
Three more matches opened Round 1 of the EHF Champions League on September 9, 2026, producing two one-sided results and a late drama in France.
Big wins for Magdeburg and Barcelona, Nantes sneaks past Wisla
SC Magdeburg dominated at home and routed Kolstad 37:22. The home side — considered one of the favourites this season — controlled the game from start to finish. Magnuson finished as Magdeburg’s top scorer with seven goals; Jepson led Kolstad with five.
Barcelona also started the defence of their title in emphatic fashion, defeating Aarhus 39:28. The reigning European champions made the difference with a potent attack: Dika Mem scored seven for Barcelona while Larke managed eight goals for the visitors.
In the third match, Nantes and Wisla — in the same group as Vardar — played a tense encounter that ended in favour of the hosts. A late goal by Leopold secured a 26:25 win for Nantes in the closing moments.
All three results arrive as the group stage gets underway and set an early tone: Magdeburg and Barcelona as dominant contenders, and Nantes taking a crucial home victory by the finest of margins.
Photo: press material from the event
