Emil Nielsen did not start the match, with Mikael Appelgren between the posts, but Veszprém also did not really need Nielsen's reliable services, as his Sweden counterpart did more than enough to keep Al Ahly at bay, while Veszprém’s attack did its heavy lifting on its part.
Appelgren saved seven shots in the first half and seven in the second for an overall 37.8% saving efficiency, as the Hungarian side went into the interval with a seven-goal lead at the break, 17-10, with Xavi Pascual’s side easily finding the space behind the opponents’ defence to extend the gap between the two sides.
By the 44th minute, the gap had grown to 10 goals, 24-14, with Veszprém bringing out all the big guns, as Al Ahly’s only objective was to limit the damage to a minimum. Mohsen Ramadan and Omar Khaled combined for 10 goals, but the final score saw Veszprém secure a clear win, 31-23, and take first place in the group.
Füchse are one of the favourites for the title, and they confirmed their credentials with a stellar attacking performance against debutants Burgan, despite resting the IHF Male World Player of the Year in 2023, 2024 and 2025, Mathias Gidsel, after only 15 minutes in the match.
Gidsel still scored four goals, while left wing Tim Freihofer added five goals in a span of only 10 minutes, as the former German champions went on and scored 12 goals, more than one goal per minute, delivering a pitch-perfect performance, with pacy fast breaks and fast throw-offs dazzling Burgan.
The Danish star also had time to produce four assists before he was called back on the bench, as Fuchse tried to rotate their players as much as possible, with the match already decided, as Burgan had simply no answer.
Tim Freihofer and Aymeric Zaepfel finished with nine and 10 goals respectively; right wing Leo Prantner added seven more goals, and Füchse secured a clear 20-goal win, 38-18, to open up their account before facing Veszprem HC on Sunday in the second match.