HC Alkaloid is gearing up for another European challenge in the EHF European Cup, where our team is on the brink of reaching the quarter-finals. The rematch with the Italian club HC Brixen follows a commanding 12-goal victory in the first leg in Italy.

In anticipation of the second clash, set to take place in Skopje, HC Alkaloid held a press conference, where coach Kiril Lazarov addressed the media. The coach confirmed that he will have all key players available, and the team’s ambitions remain high—to continue winning.

“For me, it was somewhat unexpected, especially at this time of the year, to secure such a convincing victory against a strong Italian opponent. We know that their handball, both at the national and club level, is on the rise, so this large goal difference was surprising. We played a solid match, everything went our way, but the result from Italy is not entirely realistic. We pulled away in the final minutes, it was only a four-goal advantage by the 50th minute. We won’t underestimate the opponent, even though I believe we are the better team. The players performed excellently, and now we have the return match in Skopje with the same opponent. I want and expect us to win, both for our ranking and for Macedonian handball. We’ve prepared well for this match and will be ready to face Brixen.

Experience tells me that we need to focus on each upcoming opponent, and now it is Brixen from Italy. Our schedule is tight, but we must take on this challenge. We know we have a match against Eurofarm Pelister coming up, but we have to give our best against everyone. We haven’t decided on the tactics yet, we’ll have to see how the match unfolds on Saturday. Our thoughts will be in Bitola, but we need to focus on finishing this task first. I don’t want any slip-ups that could harm our confidence.

We’ve had numerous discussions on this subject, especially given our strong advantage. Ideally, we’d like to face a less challenging opponent. While there are some lower-ranked teams in the draw, every team in the TOP-8 is of high quality and competes at an EHF European League level,” said Lazarov.

HC Alkaloid’s right-back, Martin Velkovski, also spoke to the press. Following a fantastic World Championship with Macedonia, Velkovski has fully committed to the club and continues to perform at a high level.

“We’re facing the Italian vice-champions again. The result in Italy was a big margin, but the game was much closer. They play modern, fast-paced handball, but we are the stronger team, and I believe we can secure another victory. I urge our fans to back us, and together, we’ll celebrate our qualification for the quarter-finals. The match in Italy was high-scoring due to the fast tempo. It’s hard to maintain a strong defence in a game with so many goals, but I think the match in Skopje will have a similar pace to the one in Italy, and we’ll see more goals again,” said Velkovski.

The upcoming match against Brixen will be HC Alkaloid’s sixth European fixture this season. In the EHF European Cup, besides the 44-32 victory in Italy, our club previously triumphed over West Vien from Austria (38-27 and 32-29) and Dragunas Klaipeda from Lithuania (42-31 and 37-31) with two victories in the two-legged ties.

The return leg between HC Alkaloid and SSV Brixen will take place on Saturday at 18:00 in the Avtokomanda Arena.

HC ALKALOID – HC FRUITLAND BOREC 42-30 (23-16)

Venue: Avtokomanda in Skopje. Referees: Ivo Georgievski and Igor Naumovski. Controller: Kamer Metalari.

HC ALKALOID: Kizikj; Trajkovski (15 saves), Djonov 4, Petrov, Karasmanakis 3, Stojkovikj 2, M. Mitev, Velkovski, Ivanovski 11, Bingo 4, Francisco 2, Petkovski 4, D. Mitev 5, Savrevski 4, Garbeski 3, Nakovski.

Seven-meter throws: 4/5. Suspensions: 2 minutes.

HC FRUITLAND BOREC: Solev (17 saves), Dimov, Stojanovski 4, Trajkovski 2, Trifunovski 7, Ivchevski, Ivanov, Cherubim 3, Dimitrov, Petrov 1, Tabakov 1, Milanov 6, Cvitanovic 3, Stojmenov 2, Pavlov 1, Mitrevski (2 saves).

Seven-meter throws: 3/4. Suspensions: 12 minutes.

HC Alkaloid notched their 17th league win, cementing their exclusive top spot in the Super League standings after tonight’s clash with HC Fruitland Borec.

In a dominant performance against the Veles outfit, HC Alkaloid cruised to victory with a 12-goal margin. Coach Kiril Lazarov took the opportunity to give extra minutes to players who hadn’t travelled to Italy—especially two promising youngsters from the youth squad, Maksim Garbeski and Antonio Nakovski.

The mixed line-up posed no scoring issues, as HC Alkaloid steadily built their lead from 6-3 to 10-5 and maintained total control throughout the first half, which ended at 23-16.

In the second half, the team kept the same rhythm and player selection, controlling the game while the visitors from Veles fought hard to keep the deficit under ten goals for much of the period. Ultimately, another scoring surge sealed an even more emphatic victory.

New signing Martin Ivanovski exploded onto the scene with 11 goals, becoming HC Alkaloid’s top scorer in his league debut, while Damjan Mitev contributed five goals and goalkeeper Trajkovski made 15 crucial saves.

Next up, HC Alkaloid faces another European challenge. On Saturday in Skopje, they will take on SSV Brixen to secure their quarterfinal placement in the EHF European Cup, followed by a domestic derby against HC Eurofarm Pelister in Bitola.

is now open, although there are still 60 minutes left to play in the return leg.

The players expressed satisfaction with their game, execution, and result, but emphasized that they would not allow any complacency ahead of next weekend’s return match at the Avtokomanda Arena.

IVAN GALEVSKI:

“Regardless of the opponent, we always prepare to the max and give it 100%. That’s exactly what happened tonight, and we earned this victory against Brixen. We stuck to our game plan with the support of our staff and secured a dominant win. We will, however, approach the next game in Skopje with complete focus, as we have a demanding week ahead with home games against Fruitland Borec and Eurofarm Pelister. Brixen is not a team to be underestimated; they have excellent shooters who score well from nine meters and dynamic wingers who relentlessly drive the play. I believe our physical condition made the difference tonight and perhaps we were stronger with better rotation and speed, especially considering that our opponent relied on the same players for most of the match.”

MARKO KIZIKJ:

“Our opponents were no pushovers; it took some time for us to break their resistance and build a solid lead. The key was maintaining our rhythm for the full 60 minutes. Brixen fought hard until the very end, they kept coming back, but we showed greater resilience and quality. We won’t take the return leg lightly, relaxing is not an option. We are fully aware of our advantage, but our goal remains to win the return leg as well.”

MARTIN IVANOVSKI:

“I feel great at Alkaloid. As many have already pointed out, this club operates at a highly professional level. From my teammates to the management and staff, everyone has been incredibly welcoming. I’m very satisfied with the professionalism of every club member. This match marked my European debut for Alkaloid—I managed to notch two goals, which I’m pleased with, but there’s no room for complacency. As a team, we have immense potential, and I’m confident that our hard work will soon pay off.”

FRANCISCO E. SILVA:

“It was a great game for us, but also physically demanding, as we had to keep running non-stop. We managed to break away in the opening minutes and kept the tempo high throughout. I didn’t expect such a fast pace in a single match; it’s one thing to watch and analyze it, but another entirely in live action. Brixen proved to be a very fast team.

For the return match, I expect us to win again – that’s what we’re working towards. We now have a clearer understanding of our opponent. We’ll work on tightening our defense to concede fewer goals.

We give 100% in every match. Coach Lazarov is working to introduce a different playing style to the league, implementing a new system. He brings a wealth of experience that benefits us at every training session. I’m pleased with how things are progressing and I hope we continue to improve”, said Francisco e Silva.

SSV BRIXEN – HC ALKALOID 32-44 (18-23)

Venue: South Brixen in Brixen, Italy. Referees: Yves Schols (Netherlands) and Stephen Martens (Belgium). Delegate: Boris Vukasinovic (Serbia).

SSV BRIXEN: Voliuvach, Azzolin 3, Della Vecchia 1, Arcieri 7, Vinicius 8, Canete 4, E. Iballi 1, A. Iballi 3, Sader 1, Bashic 4, Miloger, Puntaier, Sozio, Oberhollenzer, Lubinati.

Seven-meter throws: 5/8. Suspensions: 6 minutes.

HC ALKALOID: Kizikj (12 saves), Galevski (2 penalties saved + 6 saves), Djonov, Markoski, Mladenovikj 1, Serafimov 6, Karasmanakis 2, Stojkovikj, Mitev 7, Gjorgiev 7, Velkovski 4, Ivanovski 2, Bingo 4, Francisco 4, Petkovski 6, Savrevski 1.

Seven-meter throws: 1/1. Suspensions: 6 minutes.

HC Alkaloid is one step closer to the EHF European Cup quarterfinals after tonight’s match in Italy, where they defeated home side SSV Brixen by a convincing 12-goal margin.

Inspired by a massive contingent of Macedonian fans from the diaspora, armed with an arsenal of supporter gear, HC Alkaloid got off to an impressive start with an early 5-0 lead. The solid defensive work and well-analyzed tactics against the opponent set the tone for the game.

The match was played at a high tempo, leading to errors on both sides, but the scoreline remained firmly in HC Alkaloid’s favor throughout the first half. They punished the opposition’s mistakes with rapid counterattacks and transition goals, spearheaded by Bingo and Petkovski, while Marko Mitev led the positional play. Martin Velkovski delivered an excellent first-half performance, and Francisco E. Silva also made a strong contribution.

The goalkeepers were equally impressive; Kizikj recorded eight saves, and Galevski successfully blocked both penalties awarded to the home team.

In the second half, played at an even quicker pace, HC Alkaloid extended their lead to 26-19, although the home side fought hard to reduce the gap. Igor Gjorgiev had excellent game, while Coach Lazarov rotated the squad effectively, giving every handballer ample opportunity on the court.

As time passed, HC Alkaloid grew increasingly confident. Their well-organized finish provided a substantial boost for the blue and white team, with more players stepping up to push the lead into double digits, ultimately finishing the match with a 44-32 victory.

HC Alkaloid’s players, along with the passionate Macedonian fans filling the arena, celebrated this monumental win. The return match, which will confirm their progression to the quarterfinals, is scheduled for next week in Skopje.

HC MULTI ESSENCE – ACHC OVCHE POLE 1958 38-25 (21-12)

Venue: Avtokomanda in Skopje. Referees: Ivo Georgievski and Igor Naumovski. Controller: Gordana Gjorgjeska.

HC MULTI ESSENCE: Angeleski, Poposki 6, Kovachevikj 4, Nasevski 4, Leshnikovski 2, Pecanoski, Krstevski 4, Nikolovski, Karakalashev 6, Gurmeshevikj 6, Tevdovski 3, Tarchulovski 1, Mitanoski 1, Goshevski 1, Bogoevski.

Seven-meter throws: 2/3. Suspensions: 4 minutes.

ACHC OVCHE POLE 1958: Kocevski 2, Todosovski, Dimchevski 3, Dimitrijev 3, Ignjatov, Dinev, Panev, Ristov 2, Stamenkov 12, Stefanovski, Denkov, Stanoev, Dimitrov 2, Janev, Ristovski 1, Hristovski.

Seven-meter throws: 2/6. Suspensions: 4 minutes.

HC Multi Essence had a successful start to the season in their first match after returning to the court following the World Championship. On home court, they triumphed over ACHC Ovche Pole 1958 from Sveti Nikole (38-25).

From the opening whistle, Mile Bochkarovski’s squad imposed a relentless tempo and maintained complete control of the game. The visitors at the Avtokomanda Arena never seized the lead; our advantage was clear from the very first minute right through to the final buzzer.

At halftime, HC Multi Essence led 21-12, and the second half provided the coach with the opportunity to rotate the squad, though it did not affect the ultimate outcome. The most impressive margin was the final one—a 13-goal lead.

The match’s top scorers were Boban Popovski, Marko Karakalashev, and Hristijan Gurmeshevikj, each netting six goals, followed by Kovachevikj, Nasevski, and Krstevski, who contributed four goals each.

HC Alkaloid kicks off a new chapter in its European club history tonight. In the Round of 16 of the EHF European Cup, HC Alkaloid will face home side SSV Brixen in the South Brixen Arena, for the first leg of the two-legged tie that will decide which team wins a spot in the quarterfinals. Coach Kiril Lazarov had ample time and resources to prepare the team for tonight’s opening clash, and based on our observations and analysis, it’s clear that our opponents are a formidable squad. Their roster includes several foreign handballers who are key playmakers, while the Italians primarily rely on rotation players. Although they don’t use many players, they execute rapid transitions and can maintain a high tempo.

“We prepared for this match almost all week. I expect a triumph, even though it won’t be easy because Brixen is an experienced team that fields only seven to eight players who play nearly the entire match. They are also very fast, scoring over 30 goals, so we’re in for a high-tempo, hard-fought game.

Our advantage is our broader roster. It’s not easy to run an entire match, but on the other hand, in previous games Brixen managed to sustain that pace. I can’t directly compare them to one of our own teams, but based on our video analysis, I’d say Brixen is at a level similar to HC Ohrid. However, that’s just from watching the footage, which doesn’t fully capture their true potential on the court,” said Marko Mitev.

Igor Gjorgiev shared the same view as Mitev and coach Lazarov, expecting a tough match against a team that must not be underestimated.

“We had plenty of time to prepare for Brixen—they are a fast team that can run well in both directions. We’re in for a hard battle in both legs, especially in the running segment. Their biggest threat comes from the pivot and two backs, who are internationals from Brazil and Argentina, along with a few other foreign players in the squad. Still, I believe our analysis is solid, I expect a good match, for us to be victorious and advance to the next round,” said Igor Gjorgiev.