Issy out for revenge against Holstebro

When Issy Paris Hand and Team Tvis Holstebro meet in the Cup Winners' Cup's semi-final, the first leg being played in the Palais de Sport Robert Charpentier Sunday evening, the game will be a remake of the quarter-final of the Women's EHF Cup last year – and it is Issy who will be out for revenge.

Issy Paris Hand (FRA) vs Team Tvis Holstebro (DEN)
Sunday 3 April, 18.00 hrs (CET) live on ehfTV

When the two teams met last year, Holstebro won as big as 40:27 in the first leg at home, but were close to being kicked out after all, as the French side won 32:20 at home.

However, Holstebro went on to win the EHF Cup for the second time in the club's history. Their first triumph in the tournament was in 2013.

Now, both teams are striving for success in the Cup Winners' Cup and apart from being a revenge tie from last year, the meetings between the French and the Danish sides also contain an interesting parade of Norwegian stars in both teams.

Issy have the sisters Stine and Hanna Bredal Oftedal as well as Pernille Wibe in their squad, while goalkeeper Silje Solberg and left wing Camilla Herrem are to be found in the Holstebro roster.

To Silje Solberg, the games will be particularly special, as she will be joining Issy after this season.

The biggest question mark, however, is Stine Bredal Oftedal, who is on her way back from injury.

"It will be two different scenarios, if she is playing or not and our tactics will have to depend a lot on that. If she is fit, which she is just about to be, Paris will be playing a completely different game, as she is the one their attacking play is based on. So it will be interesting, if she is paying or not," Holstebro's coach Peter Krautmeyer told eurohandball.com.

Handball Club Lada (RUS) vs RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Saturday 2 April, 16:00 hrs local time

The winner of the tie between Issy Paris and Holstebro will have either Russian or Slovenian oppositions in the final. The other semi-final is a meeting between the traditional Eastern European clubs Handball Club Lada from Russia and RK Krim Mercator from Slovenia.

Both clubs have a past in the Women's EHF Champions League and Krim even won it twice, in 2001 and 2003, while Lada's only European trophy so far is winning the Cup Winners' Cup back in the 2001/02 season.

Lada have the home ground in the first leg, which is being played in the Sportkomplex USK "Olimp" in Togliatti Saturday afternoon.