2020–21 EHF Champions League

The 2020–21 EHF Champions League is the 61st edition of Europe's premier club handball tournament and the 28th edition under the current EHF Champions League format.

This article is about the men's competition. For the women's competition, see 2020–21 Women's EHF Champions League.
EHF Champions League
2020–21
Tournament information
SportHandball
Dates16 September 2020–13 June 2021
Teams16
Websiteehfcl.com
Tournament statistics
Matches played70
Goals scored4162 (59.46 per match)
Attendance39,230 (560 per match)
Top scorer(s) Mikkel Hansen
(56 goals)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, each local health department will dictate the number of spectators allowed at a given match.

Format

The competition begins with a group stage featuring 16 teams divided in two groups. Matches are played in a double round-robin system with home-and-away fixtures. In Groups A and B, the top two teams qualify for the quarterfinals, with teams ranked 3rd to 6th entering the playoffs.

The knockout stage includes four rounds: the playoffs, quarterfinals, and a final-four tournament comprising two semifinals and the final. In the playoffs, eight teams are paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches. The four aggregate winners of the playoffs advance to the quarterfinals, joining the top-two teams of Groups A and B. The eight quarterfinalist teams are paired against each other in two-legged home-and-away matches, with the four aggregate winners qualifying to the final-four tournament.

In the final four tournament, the semifinals and the final are played as single matches at a pre-selected host venue.[1]

Teams
Location of teams of the 2020–21 EHF Champions League group stage.
Red: Group A; Blue: Group B.

A total of 24 teams from 16 countries submitted their application for a place in the competition's group stage before the deadline of 10 June 2020.[2] The final list of 16 participants was revealed by the EHF Executive Committee on 19 June. Ten teams were registered according to fixed places, while six were granted wild cards.[3]

Participating teams
Paris Saint-Germain (1st) THW Kiel (1st) Vardar 1961 (1st) Telekom Veszprém (1st)
Barça (1st) Łomża Vive Kielce (1st) Aalborg Handbold (1st) PPD Zagreb (1st)
FC Porto (1st) SG Flensburg-Handewitt (2nd) Meshkov Brest (WC) HBC Nantes (WC)
MOL-Pick Szeged (WC) Elverum Håndball (WC) Celje Pivovarna Laško (WC) Motor (WC)

Group stage
Main article: 2020–21 EHF Champions League group stage

The draw was held on 1 July 2020 at the EHF headquarters in Vienna, Austria.[3][4] The 16 teams were drawn into two groups of eight, with the restriction that teams from the same national association could not be drawn into the same group.[5]

In each group, teams play against each other in a double round-robin format, with home and away matches. After completion of the group stage matches, the top two teams from each group qualify directly for the quarterfinals, and the four teams ranked 3rd–6th advance to the playoffs.

Matches will be played on Wednesdays and Thursdays, with starting times at 18:45 and 20:45 (CET/CEST).

Tiebreakers

In the group stage, teams are ranked according to points (2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). After completion of the group stage, if two or more teams have scored the same number of points, the ranking will be determined as follows:

  1. Highest number of points in matches between the teams directly involved;
  2. Superior goal difference in matches between the teams directly involved;
  3. Highest number of goals scored in matches between the teams directly involved (or in the away match in case of a two-team tie);
  4. Superior goal difference in all matches of the group;
  5. Highest number of plus goals in all matches of the group;

If the ranking of one of these teams is determined, the above criteria are consecutively followed until the ranking of all teams is determined. If no ranking can be determined, a decision shall be obtained by EHF through drawing of lots.

During the group stage, only criteria 4–5 apply to determine the provisional ranking of teams.

Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification KIE FLE BRE PAR POR SZE ELV VAR
1 Łomża Vive Kielce 9 7 1 1 289 256 +33 15 Quarterfinals — 4 Mar 34–27 35–33 32–30 26–23 18 Feb 36–29
2 SG Flensburg-Handewitt 9 7 1 1 272 261 +11 15 31–30 — 29–29 25 Feb 36–29 26–24 37–35 TBD
3 Meshkov Brest 10 4 1 5 276 285 −9 9 Playoffs 11 Feb 26–28 — 32–31 24 Feb 26–24 29–27 24–22
4 Paris Saint-Germain 7 4 0 3 222 213 +9 8 23 Feb 28–29 17 Feb — 29–28 4 Mar 35–29 TBD
5 FC Porto 10 3 2 5 282 286 −4 8 32–32 18 Feb 27–25 31–34 — 25–19 28–30 27–24
6 MOL-Pick Szeged 7 2 0 5 185 189 −4 4 25 Feb 28 Feb 30–27 29–32 11 Feb — 36–27 18 Feb
7 Elverum Håndball 8 2 0 6 232 257 −25 4 Eliminated 22–31 29–30 33–31 TBD 4 Mar TBD — 25 Feb
8 Vardar 1961 6 1 1 4 160 171 −11 3 29–33 31–26 4 Mar TBD 25–25 14 Feb 21 Feb —
Updated to match(es) played on 9 February 2021. Source: EHF

Group B
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification BAR VES ZAP ALB KIE CEL NAN ZAG
1 Barça (Q) 10 10 0 0 364 287 +77 20 Quarterfinals — 37–30 3 Mar 42–33 29–25 42–28 17 Feb 45–27
2 Telekom Veszprém 10 6 1 3 340 304 +36 13 34–37 — 17 Feb 30–32 41–33 39–24 3 Mar 37–25
3 Motor 10 6 0 4 288 306 −18 12 Playoffs 25–30 34–37 — 24 Feb TBD 31–29 29–28 29–25
4 Aalborg Håndbold 9 5 0 4 275 279 −4 10 32–35 27–33 38–29 — 23–31 3 Mar 32–24 18 Feb
5 THW Kiel 9 4 1 4 273 259 +14 9 26–32 31–31 34–23 16 Feb — 18 Feb 27–35 3 Mar
6 Celje Pivovarna Laško 10 3 0 7 279 319 −40 6 24 Feb 11 Feb 31–32 29–31 24–35 — 25–31 29–28
7 HBC Nantes 8 2 0 6 228 238 −10 4 Eliminated 27–35 24–28 31–32 10 Feb 25 Feb 28–30 — 23 Feb
8 PPD Zagreb 8 0 0 8 197 252 −55 0 11 Feb 25 Feb 23–24 26–27 21–31 22–30 14 Feb —
Updated to match(es) played on 9 February 2021. Source: EHF
(Q) Qualified to the phase indicated.

Knockout stage
Main article: 2020–21 EHF Champions League knockout stage

The top-two teams of Groups A and B advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the teams ranked 3rd–6th to the playoffs.

Playoffs
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
B6 M1 A3 31 Mar – 1 Apr 7–8 Apr
A6 M2 B3 31 Mar – 1 Apr 7–8 Apr
B5 M3 A4 31 Mar – 1 Apr 7–8 Apr
A5 M4 B4 31 Mar – 1 Apr 7–8 Apr

Quarterfinals
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
M4 – A1 12–13 May 19–20 May
M3 – B1 12–13 May 19–20 May
M2 – A2 12–13 May 19–20 May
M1 – B2 12–13 May 19–20 May

Final four
 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
12 June
 
 
 
 
13 June
 
 
 
 
 
12 June
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Third place
 
 
13 June
 
 
 
 
 
 

Final
13 June 2021 WSF1 v WSF2 Lanxess Arena, Cologne

Top goalscorers
As of 9 February 2021
Rank Player Club Goals[6]
1 Mikkel Hansen Paris Saint-Germain 56
2 Alex Dujshebaev Łomża Vive Kielce 52
Marko Panić Meshkov Brest
4 Aleix Gómez Barça 50
Gøran Johannessen SG Flensburg-Handewitt
6 Niclas Ekberg THW Kiel 47
Petar Nenadić Telekom Veszprém
8 Viachaslau Bokhan Motor 46
9 Sander Sagosen THW Kiel 45
10 Dika Mem Barça 44

References
  1. Competition system
  2. "24 clubs submit registration for the new season". ehfcl.com. 10 June 2020.
  3. "2020/21 season: EXEC announced the starting grid season". timeoutmag.com. 19 June 2020.
  4. "Elite 16 teams learn their group phase fate". ehfcl.com. 1 July 2020.
  5. "Pots for the group phase draw revealed". ehfcl.com. 22 June 2020.
  6. Goalscorers
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