Another Aalborg Handball - Barca match in Last 16

A Herculean task awaits the defending winners of the VELUX EHF Champions League as SG Flensburg Handewitt will face the bundesliga rivals THW Kiel in the Last 16. Flensburg beat Kiel, the 2012 trophy holders 30:28 at the 2014 VELUX EHF FINAL4 last June. All eight pairings of the first knockout stage in March were confirmed on Tuesday as the last 16 draw of the premier European club competition took place in Vienna.

The draw was carried out by Leopold Kalin, Chairman of the EHF Competition Commision alongside EHF Secretary General Michael Wiederer. Two more former winners of the continental top flight progressed from the group phase. The record seven times trophy holders FC Barcelona will meet Aalborg Handball, who they met also in the Last 16 of the previous season and the 2003 trophy holders Montpellier Agglomeration HB will lock horns with Vive Tauron Kielce. The other pairings were: Naturhouse La Rioja vs MKB-MVM Veszprém, Dunkerque HB Grand Littoral (FRA) vs PSG Handball (FRA), Orlen Wisla Plock vs HC Vardar, RK PPD Zagreb vs KIF Kolding Kobenhavn and Rhein-Neckar Löwen vs MOL-Pick Szeged. The first leg is scheduled for 11-15 March, the second leg will be played 18-22 March. The winning teams of the last 16 qualify for the quarter-finals and only the four best outfits will make it to the climax of the season, the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in Cologne (30 and 31 May 2015).

VELUX EHF Champions League Last 16 draw:

Naturhouse La Rioja (ESP) - MKB-MVM Veszprém (HUN)

Montpellier Agglomeration HB (FRA) - Vive Tauron Kielce (POL)

Aalborg Handball (DEN) - FC Barcelona (ESP)

SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) - THW Kiel (GER)

Dunkerque HB Grand Littoral (FRA) - PSG Handball (FRA)

Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) - HC Vardar (MKD)

RK PPD Zagreb (CRO) - KIF Kolding Kobenhavn (DEN)

Rhein-Neckar Löwen (GER) - MOL-Pick Szeged (HUN)

(first leg 11-15 March, second leg 18-22 March)