Three teams advance early to Round 2

Bregenz Handball from Austria, OCI-LIONS from the Netherlands and Talent M. A. T. Plzen from the Czech Republic are all through to Qualification Round 2 for the EHF Cup, as they all got through their respective Round 1 double headers this weekend victorious.

On home court, Bregenz took a convincing 64:50 aggregate win against HC Dragunas Klaipeda from Lithuania, who were defeated 28:24 on Friday and 36:26 the following day.

Bregenz even know their opponent in the next round already, as they will be up against Danish Skjern Håndbold, participants in the group phase last season.

Talent Plzen had to fight a bit harder to progress in their two home games against SSV Bozen Loacker. The Italian visitors managed to keep their Czech hosts to 26:26 draw in the first leg Saturday, but Sunday Plzen made things clear through a 24:17 win the next day.

OCC-LIONS had the easiest task among this weekend´s three over all winners. The Dutch side eased to a 72:30 aggregate home win against London GD Handball Club.

After a tricky 28:18 victory in the first match, the LIONS had their British guests for lunch Sunday with a comfortable 44:12 score line.

HC Sporta Hlohovec, who reached the group phase last season, have a very good chance to proceed towards that goal again, after the Slovakian side won the first leg at home against Bursa Nilüfer BK from 35:25.

IFK Kristianstad are even closer to the next round after their 30:19 away win in Greece against A. C. Diomidis Argous, and the Luxembourg derby between Handball Kaerjeng and Handball Esch also seems close to a decision after Esch’s 34:23 away win.

BSV Bern Muri from Switzerland take a 29:15 advantage to Belarus for the second leg away to HC Gomel, while HC Zomimak-M will have a tough time emulating their group phase appearance of last season after losing 36:25 in Poland to Górnik Zabrze, a score line which will be hard to catch up with on home court in FYR Macedonia.

Ten further teams will not decide their ties until the coming weekend, which will contain five more double headers alongside nine second leg matches.