Already-Eliminated Vardar Host Melsungen, Butel Go Out by Two Goals, and Ohrid and Alkaloid Are Seeded in the Draw

Vardar are out, but can decide who goes through in the Champions League

Before the final round of the EHF Champions League group stage, three places in the next phase are still open - two in Group B and one in Group A. In Group B, Wisła Płock, Melsungen and Nantes have six points each. Płock host Nantes and the winner is through for sure, while Melsungen visit Vardar on Wednesday, who are already eliminated. If both matches end in draws, Nantes and Melsungen go through on head-to-head record. The Germans have been warned - Vardar are the team that beat Nantes. Vardar's top scorer is Jaka Malus with 28 goals, and in the domestic league the team beat Prilep 38:29 and sit top of the table. With nothing left to defend in the group, this is a match for pride, and in front of their own crowd.

Nikolić's ban stands, Zagreb without him against Celje

The EHF Court of Appeal has upheld the ban on Zagreb player Jovica Nikolić: a two-match suspension for serious unsporting behaviour. Nikolić was shown a direct red card after 45 minutes and 25 seconds of the match against Aalborg on 14 October. That means he will miss Wednesday's game against Celje, a Balkan showdown between two clubs with no chance of qualifying: Celje are still waiting for their first points, and Zagreb are out of the race. Nikolić can appeal to the European Handball Court of Arbitration within 21 days. Partizan, meanwhile, are still waiting for a first win after a 33:33 draw with Porto and play Füchse Berlin on Thursday. For the region's clubs, this season's Champions League is more of a lesson than a stage.

Butel led with five minutes left, and still went out

In the second round of the EHF European Cup, Butel Skopje were five minutes from going through: they led Croatia's Gorica 24:21, but Marko Karaula calmed the nerves with two penalties and was top scorer with eight goals. Gorica advanced 51:49 on aggregate. There was drama elsewhere too - Slovenia's Trimo Trebnje won the first leg 39:27, then lost 34:23 to Dinamo Pančevo and went through 62:61 on aggregate after Pančevo's last shot was saved. Three goals up with five minutes to go and still the end of the European season - how many times have we watched this scene before?

Ohrid and Alkaloid, the last two champions, await the draw as seeds

Macedonia has two representatives in the third round, and they are the last two winners of the European Cup: GRK Ohrid (2026) and Alkaloid (2025). Ohrid once again crushed Turkey's Spor Toto, this time 38:22 away, after leading by only two goals at half-time. Darko Đukić and Martin Ivanovski scored six each. Alkaloid beat Ferlach 32:18 in Austria after leading 12:6 at the break, with Nikola Kosteski scoring seven and Matic Suholežnik five. Both clubs go into today's draw as seeds. When the last two trophies of a European competition have ended up in Macedonian display cabinets, it's no longer a surprise - it's a standard to defend.

Macedonia vs Luxembourg opens the road to EHF EURO 2028

The national team starts qualifying for EHF EURO 2028 on 4 November at 19:00 against Luxembourg at the Boris Trajkovski arena, and tickets are already on sale. Macedonia are clear favourites: the last two meetings ended 38:24 in October 2022 and 28:23 in April 2023. Four days later, on 8 November, comes the away game against Greece, while the return match in Luxembourg isn't until 5 May 2027. The federation has called on fans to paint the arena red and yellow. Luxembourg is a must-win step, but the group's real test comes with the trip to Greece.