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.

HC Alkaloid is set to kick off tonight’s first Round of 16 match in the EHF European Cup against Italian SSV Brixen. The game is scheduled for 19:00h, the home team, however, will not be broadcasting the match.

For this opener, coach Kiril Lazarov deployed a squad of 16 handballers to Italy, ready to face an Italian team that had already completed their warm-up session ahead of the clash.

“We had a solid game plan for Brixen and focused our efforts on them. We know they’re an experienced team that has played together for a long time—they know exactly what they want and how to execute their plays at every moment on the court. They typically field only eight to nine players, which means they are very tightly coordinated, so we must be extremely cautious.

While playing with such a compact unit of eight to nine players gives Brixen an advantage in cohesion and tactical discipline, it might also work to our benefit since we have more players available and can leverage our speed.

It’s a bonus that we’re playing the first leg away, as this offers a strategic advantage; the return match will be on our home court, where our fans can really drive us to secure the win.

We must also keep in mind that Italian handball is on the rise, as demonstrated by their national team’s performances. We will not underestimate any opponent—we’re going in 100%. I believe our team is well-prepared, and we’re ensuring that every player is in top form, especially those who competed at the World Championship,” said coach Kiril Lazarov.

The members of the HC Alkaloid who played for the Macedonian national team at the World Handball Championship last month in Croatia were welcomed by the General Director/President of the Board of ALKALOID AD Skopje, Mr. Zivko Mukaetov.

At the meeting, Mr. Mukaetov congratulated the handball players and the coaching staff for the excellent representation of Macedonia on the world handball stage, for their professional behavior and for the results achieved at the Championship. He also emphasized the importance of their participation as part of the national team and their contribution as members of the club. On that occasion, he awarded them certificates of appreciation and wished them even greater success in the future.

The Alkaloid Club was represented at the 2025 World Championship by the following handball players: Marko Kizic, Ivan Galevski, Ivan Dzhonov, Marko Mitev, Igor Gjorgiev, Martin Serafimov, Martin Velkovski, Aleksandar Petkovski, Nikola Markoski, Valentin Karasmanakis and Marko Stojkovic. The national team’s coaching staff included: head coach Kiril Lazarov, assistant coach Biljana Crvenkoska, fitness coach Petar Basnarkov, and physiotherapist Toshe Trajkovski.

HC STRUGA – HC ALKALOID 14-38 (5-17)

Venue: Avtokomanda in Skopje. Referees: Viktor Andonov and Stojanche Jovanovski. Controller: Dushko Kamishevski

HC STRUGA: Tutenkoski, Mechkaroski, Djigeroski 2, Gjorgjeski, Klenkovski, Jankulovski, Adamovic 1, S. Mateski, Stojkov 1, Ostic, Saveski 2, F. Mechkaroski 1, Kostoski 2, J. Mateski, Pajkoski 5, S. Mechkaroski

Seven-meter throws: 0/2. Suspensions: 4 minutes.

HC Alkaloid: Kizikj, Galevski, Djonov 4, Petrov 1, Markoski, Mladenovikj 1, Serafimov 3, Karasmanakis 3, Gjorgiev 5, Ivanovski 6, Bingo 3, Francisco 1, Petkovski 4, D. Mitev 3, Savrevski 2, Garbeski 2

Seven-meter throws: 4/8. Suspensions: 10 minutes.

HC Alkaloid maintained its top spot in the Super League standings following the introductory round of the season’s continuation. Tonight, at the Avtokomanda arena, HC Alkaloid delivered a commanding victory over HC Struga, further solidifying their lead over the rivals for the top ranking.

HC Alkaloid’s line-up in this match featured Damjan Mitev, who made a strong return after a long injury break, and newcomer Martin Ivanovski. Additionally, youth prospect Maksim Garbeski earned his chance to play in the first team. Several first-team regulars, including Marko Mitev and Martin Velkovski, were rested for this match.

The score was level at 3-3 during the opening minutes; thereafter, HC Alkaloid went on a 14-2 run by the end of the first half, finishing the half with a 17-5 lead in favor of the blue and whites.

In the second half, coach Kiril Lazarov gave the younger players significantly more minutes and responsibility, allowing Damjan Mitev to dominate and newcomer Martin Ivanovski to demonstrate impressive scoring and assist skills, leaving a strong overall impression.

The final score was 38-14, and this match saw HC Alkaloid concede the fewest goals of the season.

Next, HC Alkaloid will host the revamped and rebranded Fruitland Borec from Veles in the upcoming round.