Vardar beat Nantes 33–27 in the Champions League, leading throughout the match
The Skopje side led from start to finish, opening a gap of eight goals in the second half; Nantes must beat Płock to stay in the race.
Vardar's handball players beat France's Nantes 33–27 in the Champions League on Wednesday, October 21. According to the report on the French site Dicodusport, Vardar led throughout the match: 9–11 in the 17th minute, 13–16 at halftime and 17–22 in the 37th. The gap then grew to six, seven and finally eight goals.
How did the match unfold? The French source highlights the start of Vardar goalkeeper Milosz Walach, whose “excellent start to the match” helped the visitors. Nantes, according to the same report, created more chances but was less clinical, and goalkeeper Christofer Bonde struggled; Julien Salmon came on in goal in the second half.
What does the result mean for the table? The report gives no table, but says Nantes are not yet qualified for the main round and must beat Płock in their next match to avoid elimination. I could not find Vardar's position in the group in the available source, so I cannot say how much the win moves the Skopje club toward the main round.
The win is significant because Vardar did not let Nantes back into the match: the lead of two to three goals in the first half was extended in the second. How much that helps in the group depends on the arithmetic, which will be clear only once all results of the round are known.
Macedonian handball has a long tradition in the Champions League, and wins at European level are also a yardstick for the state of the domestic league. In the same season, a single win cannot be used to assess the whole campaign, but the result gives grounds for confidence before the next matches.
What is not known? The exact group table after this match is not known, nor how many points Vardar has. The top scorers of the match are not known either, since the report names only the goalkeepers. It is also unclear what the schedule looks like through the end of the group stage and who Vardar plays next.
What does it mean? A win by six goals against Nantes is a good message for Vardar, but the real meaning will be measured by the table and by the next two or three matches. Until that is known, the result is a good start, not a guarantee of the main round.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 22, 2026
