Two Luxembourg handball teams, HB Dudelange and HC Berchem, were in action in the European Cup this weekend.
Dudelange’s campaign came to an early end after back-to-back defeats against PAOK Thessaloniki, while Berchem’s narrow win in Montenegro means they bring a positive result home for the second leg.
Dudelange hosted a double header against Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki but struggled to find their rhythm across both matches.
In Saturday’s opener, Dudelange started brightly and even led twice in the first half, but their performance was hampered by a series of errors and the visitors’ robust defence, which is something less common in the Luxembourg league.
The hosts regrouped towards the end of the half and had a chance to reduce the deficit to two goals before the interval, but Itua Etute’s effort was saved, and Thessaloniki capitalised on the counter to lead by four at half-time.
The second half saw Dudelange create opportunities to close the gap to two or three goals but they were unable to convert their chances.
As the match progressed, PAOK began to control the pace and conserve energy for the return leg, ultimately running out 33-28 winners. The result left Dudelange facing an uphill battle for Sunday’s rematch.
Any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed in Sunday’s second leg, as PAOK established an early five-goal lead within 11 minutes and extended their advantage to eight by the break (17-9).
Despite some resistance from the hosts, Dudelange could get no closer than six goals, eventually falling 29-21. Josip Ilic and Aldin Zekan were Dudelange’s top scorers, with six and five goals respectively.
Meanwhile, Berchem travelled to Montenegro for a closely contested match against Sutjeska, ultimately returning home with a 31-30 victory.
The first half was largely controlled by Berchem, who held their largest lead – three goals at 13-10 – after 20 minutes.
After the break, Sutjeska quickly turned the tide, briefly leading by three themselves. However, Berchem fought back to regain the advantage as the match ebbed and flowed.
In the final minute, both teams had a chance to add to their tallies, but the visitors held on to secure a one-goal win and a promising position ahead of the second leg in Luxembourg.
