Review of the Men´s Challenge Cup Round 3, second leg

Only one spot remains open on the list of the Men´s Challenge Cup Last 16 after six more teams made it from Round 3 last weekend (1-2 December). The last qualifier will be known only on 16 December, since the match between Maccabi “Tyrec” Tel Aviv (ISR) vs. SPE Strovolos (Cyprus) were rescheduled for 15 and 16 December (both at 16:00 hrs local time) with both matches played in Cyprus.

After IL Runar qualified for the Last 16 by a default win against withdrawn Macedonian side Ovce Pole, their Norwegian compatriots from Drammen HK followed them. The former winners of the competition moved closer to repeating the success from 1996 edition (called City Cup) after they won against Ukraine´s side HC Portovik 60:54 on aggregate score.

Only away goals rule prevent Ukraine´s handball city of Zaporozhya from having two men´s team in the top 16 of European competitions. After Motor made it to the Group Phase of EHF Cup, their city rivals ZTR just missed the Last 16 in the Challenge Cup as their victory 29:24 against Dragunas Klaipeda from Lithuania was not enough after they lost first leg 22:27.

Belarus´ SKA Minsk eliminated Estonia´s Pölva Serviti after the second win in the double-header (37:32 and 36:24) and Serbian Radnički Kragujevac ousted Pas Aeropos Edessas from Greece (38:25, 33:26).

Not even two ten goals scorers Volkan Caliskan and Enis Kahya could bring Turkish outfit Maliye Milli Piyango SK to the next round as they beat Bosnian HC Izviđač  Ljubuški only by three goals (30:27) and remained two goals shy of the Last 16.

Luxembourg´s Handball Esch rallied from four goal deficit after the first leg with Kosovo´s KH Prishtina (24:28) to qualify through a 31:22 victory.

Nine teams were already waiting on the list oft he Last 16, the draw will take place on Tuesday, 4 December at 11:00 hrs local time at the EHF Office in Vienna.

Further information

Find the results of the Men´s Challenge Cup Round 3, second leg here