Alkaloid beats Ferlach 31:22 in the first leg of the EHF European Cup second round
With a nine-goal lead ahead of the return leg, Alkaloid is in a good position despite missing injured Nenad Kosteski and Vuko Borozan.
On Saturday, October 17, the handball players of Alkaloid beat Ferlach 31:22 at home (16:11 at halftime) in the first leg of the second round of the EHF European Cup. The win gives them a nine-goal lead ahead of the return leg, which is played a week later at Ferlach's ground.
The standout player for the Macedonian side was Marko Mitev with eight goals. Nikola Kosteski added six, so the two of them scored 14 of the team's 31 goals. Goalkeeper Galevski made 10 saves, including two from seven-meter penalties. Penalty saves often change the rhythm of a match, and here they helped Alkaloid hold the lead from the first half.
The win came despite the absence of two players. Nenad Kosteski and Vuko Borozan did not play because of injuries. The squad without them kept the advantage after the break, which is a serious sign of the depth of the bench.
The EHF European Cup is the third-ranked club competition in European handball, after the Champions League and the European League. For Macedonian clubs it is a realistic target, because results can be achieved here, coefficient points collected and experience gained that other competitions make hard to get.
A nine-goal lead is good but is not a final position. The tie is decided on aggregate over two matches, and the away leg brings its own risks: an unfamiliar hall, refereeing decisions, travel and pressure on the host, who must rescue the situation. A nine-goal turnaround is rare but not impossible.
The coaching staff will also have to decide what to do with the squad. If the injured players are not ready for the return leg, Mitev, Nikola Kosteski and Galevski will again carry a large part of the load. That means caution in defense and control of the tempo, rather than a race for a big result.
What is not known? It is unclear whether Nenad Kosteski and Borozan will be available for the return leg, or how long their injuries last. The exact date and time of the return leg are also not known from the first-leg report.
What does it mean? Alkaloid has done a good part of the job, but not all of it. The return leg will show whether the Macedonian club can finish the work away from home and advance to the next stage of the European Cup.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 19, 2026
