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Magdeburg’s recent form in the Champions League was not great, but they are the reigning European champions with an almost unchanged roster from last year. Can Szeged cause an upset in front of the home crowd?
Szeged Showing Mixed Form
Szeged had a disappointing run in the Champions League group phase, finishing as the 6th placed team in Group B with just five wins, one draw and eight defeats. They lacked consistency even at home, recording three wins and four losses.
In the Round of 16, the Hungarian side gained an advantage in the first leg at home against Kielce 26-23, with Lazar Kukic scoring several clutch goals and finishing as top scorer with six.
Their shooting numbers improved significantly in the reverse leg in Poland, where a 32-32 draw was enough to send them through on aggregate. Kukic once again led the scoring charts with six goals, followed by Marin Jelinic and Mario Sostaric, who both added five each.
Magdeburg Relying on Experience
Magdeburg are the reigning European champions, but their performances in the group phase were not convincing, finishing 2nd behind Barcelona after a three-game winless run.
Their eleven-game winning streak came to an end with a 26-26 draw against Wisla Plock in Poland, followed by a disappointing 36-29 home defeat to Barcelona which decided the top spot in the group.
The German side closed this stage with another loss, falling 34-26 to PSG, although several key players were rested. Manuel Zehnder was their top scorer in that match with seven goals.