2022/23 EHF Champions League Preview Favors the Defending Champion

Image source: Steindy (talk) 01:16, 21 January 2010 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The group stage of the top-tier men’s handball club tournament, the EHF Champions League starts next week. 16 teams will compete for the trophy including the defending champions, FC Barcelona, and last year’s runners-up, Vive Kielce. Both teams are among the top favorites again according to the 2022/23 EHF Champions League preview. But other top German, French, and Hungarian clubs can also be there at the end. 

This will be the 63rd edition of the EHF Champions League where the best men’s handball clubs of the continent compete. The main part of the tournament, the group stage starts next week with the first games in both groups. As the participating 16 teams are divided into two groups of eight teams. With the first two teams automatically qualifying for the quarter-finals. While teams finishing between third and sixth place will continue in the playoffs. We can find familiar names among the main favorites. From the defending champions FC Barcelona to four-time winner THW Kiel. Along with regular final four member Vive Kielce, Telekom Veszprem, and Paris Saint-Germain. The only big team missing this season is RK Vardar following the club’s financial issues. 

Spanish Champion Is the Top Favorite In the  2022/23 EHF Champions League Preview

FC Barcelona won their 11th Champions League title last season after defeating Polish Vive Kielce in the final. The Spanish champion is the top favorite again and has an odds of 2.50 for another trophy. No wonder online sportsbooks in Spain rank them in the top again, following their experience and previous results. Antonio Carlos Ortega’s team is still super strong with players like goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez de Vargas or right winger Aleix Gomez. But the French national, Dika Mem can also be a key player in the new season after he scored 100 goals last season. 

Barcelona will play in Group B alongside Kielce who they will meet already in the second round. The Polish side can be their biggest rival again according to the  2022/23 EHF Champions League preview.  A Spanish player, Alex Dujshebaev can lead them to the final along with the new signing, Nedim Remili. The French right-back arrived from PSG just like his compatriot, Benoit Kounkoud. Talant Dujshebaev’s team managed to beat Barcelona twice last season in the group stage, and now they are hoping for similar results. The team will surely try to win the club’s second Champions League trophy with odds of 6.00 to do so. 

German favorites

The German champions, SC Magdeburg finished as a runner-up in the previous EHF European League season after winning the title in 2021. Now they can play in the top competition where they have already won three titles. But their last victory is from 20 years ago. Bennet Wiegert’s team will aim for  a good performance in their first Champions League season since 2006. Icelandic Omar Ingi Magnusson can help them to achieve it. He was the top scorer in this year’s European Championship and also in the 2020/21 Bundesliga season. Also having great Danish and German players, Magdeburg’s odds to win the title are 8.00 on bet365. 

Online gambling sites in Spain offer the same odds for the victory of another German club, THW Kiel, who was the runner-up in last year’s Bundesliga. Kiel also won the bronze medal in the Champions League and added to their four previous gold medals. Their star player, Sander Sagosen had to miss last season’s final four due to breaking his ankle. He is still recovering and fans are likely to wait until next year for his return. But with the arrival of new players like Eric Johansson and Karl Wallinius, Kiel can go a long way again. 

Chances of Veszprem and PSG

Just like four-time runners-up, Telekom Veszprem, who finished fourth last season. The team’s captain, Rasmus Lauge will play in his last season at the club and will try once again to win the trophy. Newcomers Mikita Vailupau and Dragan Pechmalbec can help to achieve this goal. While French champions PSG will also give another try to win their first trophy and has an odds of 10.00 to get it. In spite of several key players like Mikkel Hansen and Nedim Remili leaving the club. But team captain Nikola Karabatic remained and can play an important role in the new season again.

Click here to see all the European Handball Odds at the bet365 Sportsbook