Will Füchse Berlin secure their place in the final in Cologne?
Curtains up for the Final Four in the Handball Champions League. Two German clubs are in the thick of it, including the newly crowned Bundesliga champions Füchse Berlin. The capital city club will face HBC Nantes and are the favorites in the first semifinal match of the Final Four. For a Füchse Berlin vs. Nantes tip on the German champions, betting odds of only 1.42 are currently being offered.
Since their draw against HC Erlangen, Füchse Berlin have won eleven competitive games in a row and are in top form going into the final tournament in Cologne. The Berliners have been particularly impressive in attack recently, scoring 38.54 goals per game. It is quite possible that the statistics from recent weeks will be confirmed in the Final Four of the Handball Champions League.
If you want to place a bet on a victory for the Berlin handball team in the semi-final between Füchse Berlin and Nantes, you can also place a bet on the capital city team at Winamax Sports Betting and benefit from a welcome bonus as a new customer. The last time Füchse Berlin met HBC Nantes, they celebrated a 37:30 victory in the EHF European League – a good omen ahead of the Champions League semi-final?
Füchse Berlin – Statistics & current form
For the first time in the club’s history, the Berlin handball team won the German top-flight championship this season. In an explosive season finale against Rhein-Neckar, they came back from a surprising halftime deficit to win the 2024/25 Handball Bundesliga championship. The capital city team is now aiming for its next coup in the Final Four.
HBC Nantes is a surmountable hurdle in the semifinals of the upcoming final tournament. This is also the view of German-licensed betting providers, who are currently offering odds of around 1.40 for a Füchse Berlin vs. Nantes tip on the German representative. In six previous head-to-head matches, the Berliners have already suffered three defeats.
However, the last time was almost three years ago in the EHF European League. Since then, the two clubs have met in two further encounters. In these two matches, Füchse Berlin remained unbeaten and scored a total of 70 goals against the French representatives, including a 37:30 victory in April 2024.
In the Champions League Final Four for the first time since 2012
Füchse Berlin are participating in the Champions League final tournament for the first time since 2012. Back then, they suffered a bitter defeat in the semi-final against THW Kiel in an all-German showdown. In the subsequent match for third place, however, Füchse Berlin lost to AG Copenhagen and thus missed out on the bronze medal.
The capital club last lost a competitive match in February 2025. Since then, the Berlin handball players have not lost any of their last 21 matches across all competitions and have a record of 19-2-0 during this period. The 2024/25 German champions are therefore going into the final tournament in Cologne with their heads held high.
Füchse Berlin has already faced a French club twice on the international stage this season. In those two encounters – both against PSG Handball – they recorded one win and one defeat. The Berliners scored a total of 75 goals in those two matches. An offensive spectacle is also on the cards this time around.
Nantes – Statistics & current form
HBC Nantes is in the Final Four of the EHF Champions League for the first time since the 2020/21 season. This is surprising, as the French representative did not make the best impression in the group stage. In 14 group matches, HBC Nantes remained winless seven times and therefore had to enter the playoffs in the round of 16. Only the top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals of the playoffs.
After eliminating French runners-up Wisla Plock from the competition with an aggregate score of 54:52, they also celebrated victory in the quarterfinals against Sporting CP, securing their ticket to the final tournament in Cologne. HBC Nantes prevailed against the Portuguese side with an aggregate score of 60:57 after winning both legs.
In Cologne, head coach Grégory Cojean’s team is the big underdog against clubs such as Füchse Berlin, FC Barcelona and SC Magdeburg. HBC Nantes has never won an international title before. In the EHF Champions League, the silver medal in the 2017/18 season was the best result for the western French club. At that time, HBC Nantes lost to league rivals Montpellier in the final.
Will HBC Nantes continue its winning streak in Cologne?
HBC Nantes has not lost a single match since March 2025 and is now unbeaten in twelve competitive games in a row. In these twelve encounters, Cojean’s team celebrated a total of ten victories, including three games in the 2024/25 EHF Champions League.
In six of their last seven matches, HBC Nantes scored at least 30 goals per game. They will be looking to maintain their scoring rate against Füchse Berlin. However, Grégory Cojean’s team has only broken the 30-goal mark once in their last six international matches. Betting on an offensive spectacle from the western French side therefore carries a lot of risk.
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Füchse Berlin – Nantes Head-to-head record / H2H record
The two clubs have met six times in competitive matches in the past. The last time was in the 2023/24 season. In the EHF European League, Füchse Berlin drew with HBC Nantes in the quarter-final first leg. The top club in the HBL won the return leg away from home 37:30 against the French representatives.
Füchse Berlin – Nantes Tip
With the Handball Bundesliga championship already in the bag, Füchse Berlin have already caused a sensation this season. Now the capital city club is aiming for the big prize and wants to win the 2024/25 EHF Champions League in Cologne. In the final tournament, the Berlin handball players have a relatively easy draw in HBC Nantes compared to SC Magdeburg.
As the bookmakers’ odds imply, the Füchse are clear favorites going into the Final Four semifinals. Since April 2025, the newly crowned German champions have won each of their last eleven competitive games. In the quarterfinals of the 2024/25 Champions League, the Foxes prevailed against Aalborg in both the first and second legs, thus also making a statement internationally in the title race.
Considering how strong Berlin’s offense has been in recent weeks, the Bundesliga champions should not have too much trouble in the semifinals against HBC Nantes and should be able to secure a comfortable victory. Our Füchse Berlin vs. HBC Nantes tip is for a Berlin victory with a three-goal margin at odds of 1.68. We are betting four units.