Lucky Melsungen complete same set-up as in 2025

EHF / Björn Pazen

05 May 2026, 23:00

With his one and only goal in 60 minutes, Rubén Marchán secured MT Melsungen’s ticket to the Winamax EHF Finals 2026. Forty-five seconds before the end, the Spaniard netted for 19:23 at FC Porto – and after winning the reverse fixture 28:23, the German side qualified for the final tournament of the EHF European League for the second time after 2025. As SG Flensburg-Handewitt, THW Kiel and Montpellier Handball had already clinched their berths for the Winamax EHF Finals 2026, the same four teams as last year will compose the event on 30/31 May. The draw for the semi-finals will be conducted on Friday 8 May, 11:00 CEST (live on EHFTV).

QUARTER-FINALS, SECOND LEG

FC Porto (POR) vs MT Melsungen (GER) 23:19 (12:9)

Top scorers: Rui Silva 4/5, Antonio Martinez 4/6 (both FC Porto), Florian Drosten (MT Melsungen) 7/7
First leg result: 23:28, Melsungen won 47:46 on aggregate

After a low-scoring first half, FC Porto had caught up three of the five goals from their 23:28 deficit in the reverse fixture.
Mainly the 50% saving rate of goalkeeper Sebastian Abrahamsson before the break made the difference – along with the hosts’ 3:0 flying start.
With Melsungen relying on a physically strong defensive line, they avoided falling behind by more than three goals in the first 30 minutes; but their scoring efficiency of only 50% was too low to reduce the gap.
It took only three minutes after the restart for Melsungen’s coach Roberto Parrondo to call a time-out, as Porto were virtually in Hamburg for the first time after a 3:0 run and a 15:9 scoreline.
From that moment on, the margin remained constantly between four and five goals – and a five-goal gap would have meant a direct penalty shoot-out.
After Marchán’s goal for 19:23, Icelandic player Þorsteinn Leó Gunnarsson failed with Porto’s last chance.

For the second time, Melsungen avoid elimination

MT Melsungen were close to elimination for the second time in the knock-out stage of the EHF European League, but twice they managed to cheat the gallows. In the play-offs, they lost the first leg at Fredericia 29:35, but qualified for the quarter-final with a 35:26 home win. Against Porto, again the home victory was crucial for the team of Roberto Parrondo Garcia.

After 14 saves last week, goalkeeper Nebojša Simić saved only eight shots in Porto, but most of them were crucial to avoid an even bigger deficit. Another key factor was young wing Florian Drosten, who was cold as ice from the penalty line, converting all seven of his attempts.

For MT Melsungen it will be their second appearance in Hamburg, after narrowly failing in the 2025 semi-final against eventual winners SG Flensburg-Handewitt. This season was much more difficult for the German side, as they had to replace last season’s European League top scorer Ian Barrufet, who returned to Barcelona. Besides this, Simić was ruled out for several months after tearing his ACL. But with the Montenegrin’s comeback, Melsungen played more steadily – and survived in the competition despite the defeat in Porto.

In the final minutes of the match, we wasted good chances to score, and in these knockout rounds, those details make the difference. We have to accept this outcome, but it’s frustrating. It’s hard to accept, but I’m very proud of the team and the way they fought until the end against a Bundesliga team.

Magnus Andersson, head coach of FC Porto

It was a very hard game, Porto were very well, our defence did a good game, but in attack wasn´t our best day it costed us a lot, we knew that playing against them is tough specially at their home, but we are very happy to be at the final tournament, for us it's a dream.

Roberto Parrondo, head coach of MT Melsungen