Next tour de force for the Füchse?
The handball schedule is so tight that you hardly have a chance to catch your breath and recharge your batteries. But if you have a lot of games, it also means that you play a successful season and are still represented on the international stage. That should continue to be the case for Füchse Berlin and that’s why they need a home win against HBC Nantes on Tuesday
Last week, the Berliners lost 24:25 in the first leg of this Round of 16 match in France, which is at least not a bad starting position to secure their ticket for the next round in the second leg in the Max-Schmeling-Halle. However, it will certainly not be an easy task for Jaron Siewert’s team, because French teams are always unpleasant opponents in the European Cup.
But after the relaxation of the pandemic rules, the Berliners can look forward to a full house. Especially in handball, the home advantage with the support of the fans is extremely important. If the home side manage to play with concentration for 60 minutes, then the prediction should be for the Germans to progress in the Füchse Berlin versus Nantes duel.
For example, there are identical odds for both teams to advance to the next round. However, we think that the home side will have the slightly better chances and therefore we tend to place a tip on a home win in this second leg between Füchse Berlin and Nantes.
Füchse Berlin – Statistics & current form
You can tell that the Foxes have had to play a lot of games in the last few weeks. Nevertheless, Jaron Siewert’s team has shown a remarkable will and all in all, one has to speak of a great season. In the Bundesliga, the Berliners have every chance of finishing runners-up and thus qualifying for the Champions League.
Potential for promotion in the European League
At the moment, the Foxes are second behind Magdeburg with nine minus points. Kiel is right behind with ten minus points. Until the end of the season, it will be a matter of keeping the Zebras at bay and bringing home second place. Internationally, however, the Foxes definitely still have room for improvement. There is a clear difference between Jaron Siewert’s team playing in the Bundesliga and in the European League.
The Berliners have already played 14 games this year and conceded three defeats in the process. While they have won all their Bundesliga games, they have lost three in the European League. Nevertheless, we look at the odds for a home win in the second leg between Füchse Berlin and Nantes, but we certainly don’t do that completely unconditionally.
Last weekend, the Füchse had a hard time in the Bundesliga at Bergischer HC, and in the end they won the game 28:23 with an intermediate spurt in the second period. Once again, keeper Dejan Milosavljev was outstanding, making numerous saves to drive the opposing attackers to despair and on whom the Berliners’ hopes will also rest on Tuesday.
Predicted line-up of Füchse Berlin:
Milosavljev, Genz – Andersson, Beneke, Drux, Ende, Holm, Kopljar, Langhoff, Lindberg, Marsenic, Mathes, Morros, Vori, Vujovic, Wiede – Coach: Siewert
Last matches played by Füchse Berlin:
Bundesliga
03/31 2022 – Bergischer HC 23 – 28 Füchse Berlin
EHF European League Final Stage
03/29 2022 – HBC Nantes 25 – 24 Füchse Berlin
Bundesliga
03/27 2022 – Rhein-Neckar-Löwen 24 – 29 Füchse Berlin
03/24 2022 – Füchse Berlin 29 – 24 TBV Lemgo
03/13 2022 – THW Kiel 27 – 31 Füchse Berlin
Nantes – Statistics & current form
Nantes is basically the blueprint of Füchse Berlin in the French league. Raul Entrerrios’ team is also fighting for second place, but has a bit more breathing space than the Berliners in the Bundesliga. The title is no longer an option, but as second they have a cushion of three points on third-placed Aix.
Broad chest after four wins
The French are therefore very likely to play in the Champions League next season and want to say goodbye to the European League by winning the title. In general, the form should give cause for optimism to at least make it to the quarter-finals first, as Nantes recently picked up four wins in a row.
However, there are also differences in form in home and away games. HBC Nantes have lost two of their last four away games, so we can still imagine predicting the Bundesliga team’s progress in the match between Füchsen Berlin and Nantes, even though we expect a close game on Tuesday.
Last weekend, Raul Entrerrios’ team had to face US Creteil. Already 19:16 ahead at the break, Nantes took it easy in the second period. In the end, they won 35:31, which gave them a boost for Tuesday’s match in Berlin.
Predicted line-up of Nantes:
Nielsen, Robin – Pechmalbec, Minne, Rivera Folch, Briet, Persson, Cavalcanti, Lazarov, Balaguer Romero, Portela, Monar, Milic, Marchan Criado, de la Breteche – Coach: Entrerrios
Last matches played by Nantes:
1st Division
04/02 2022 – US Creteil Handball 31 – 35 HBC Nantes
EHF European League Final Stage
03/29 2022 – HBC Nantes 25 – 24 Füchse Berlin
1st Division
03/26 2022 – HBC Nantes 40 – 36 Chartres
Coupe de France
03/23 2022 – Dunkerque HB 29 – 38 HBC Nantes
1st Division
03/13 2022 – Paris Handball 34 – 28 HBC Nantes
Füchse Berlin – Nantes Direct comparison / H2H-balance
Three times the teams from Berlin and Nantes have faced each other on the pitch so far. The direct comparison speaks first of all with 2:1 victories for the French, but nevertheless the Foxes have good memories of the duels. In the 2014/15 season, the Berliners lost in the European League qualifiers in Nantes, but advanced to the group stage after winning the second leg because they scored more away goals.
A similar scenario is conceivable again on Tuesday in the Max-Schmeling-Halle. It didn’t have to come so far, because last week in Nantes the Berliners led by up to four goals for a long time, but gave the game out of their hands in the last ten minutes and had to settle for a 24:25 defeat, which is not the worst starting position for the Foxes, though.
Foxes Berlin – Nantes Tip
After a good performance for long stretches in Nantes last week, it is regrettable that they still lost by one goal there. Nevertheless, one can be optimistic, because in the first meeting of these two clubs, the Berliners also turned around a defeat from the first leg and advanced. Moreover, Jaron Siewert’s team is in good form.
Nevertheless, it should not be underestimated that the load for the Berliners has been extremely high lately, with three games a week almost permanently. So it will have to be seen how fresh the hosts will be in this second leg on Tuesday.
It could certainly be a close game in this second leg, so it will also depend on keeper Dejan Milosavljev. If it comes back to sparkling form, then the Berliners should win and that’s exactly what we expect. We have decided to play the betting odds on a handicap win (-1.5) for the hosts between Füchse Berlin and Nantes.
