Kobenhavn stay with Barcelona in thrilling stalemate

In front of 5,000 fans in Denmark, the two Group B rivals retained their unbeaten records with seven points from four matches, although it is the Danes who top the pool by way of a superior goal difference.

The Catalans fell to an early 4-2 deficit but soon found their feet once they flexed their muscles and imposed their physical superiority on the hosts.

Nikola Karabatic and Kiril Lazarov proved to be a handful for the Kobenhavn defence and the Danish side replaced goalkeeper Kasper Hvidt - a former Barca player - with Marcus Cleverly midway through the first half.

The switch appeared to work as the Danes reduced the deficit to two goals by the half-time break and after the restart some defiant keeping from Cleverly and excellent forward play by Bo Spellerberg got Kobenhavn right back in the game.

With under two minutes remaning, Martin Dolk scored a penalty shot to finally level the score at 27-27 and with no further breakthrough made, the spoiled were shared.

“In the first half we felt as if we were five or six goals behind, but we never gave up. However, there is no doubt that we were lucky to get a point today,” Kobenhavn's Lars Jorgensen told the EHF's official website.

In the other Group B match, Orlen Wisla Plock survived a jittery second half to post a 28-25 win over Alingsas HK, their second victory of the campaign. Alingsas remain pointless.

In Group A, Paris Saint Germain made hard work of Meshkov Brest to keep their 100 per cent record with a narrow 29-28 win in Belarus, while THW Kiel romped to a 42-27 victory over HCMetalurg. Naturhouse La Rioja edged HC Prvo plinarsko drustvo Zagreb 23-22 in the group's other match over the weekend.

MKB-MVM Veszprém remained unbeaten and top of Group C after a 24-21 away win at RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko, while HC Vardar slipped behind following their 34-34 draw with MontpellierAgglomeration HB in another thrilling stalemate. That was the first time Vardar had dropped points this season, and the Macedonians lie in second on seven points after four matches, three points ahead of Rhein-Neckar Löwen, who downed Chekhovskie Medvedi 34-29.

And in Group D, KS Vive Tauron Kielce picked up their fourth win from four with a 28-25 road victory over Dunkerque HB Grand Littoral. The Polish club sit atop the pool with eight points, two ahead of MOL-Pick Szeged, who downed Kadetten Schaffhausen 34-24 at home. Aalborg Handball remain third after a 28-25 win over bottom club HC Motor Zaporozhye.