Untested Danyi leads Györ in first Champions League clash

Saturday will be a special night for both Györi Audi ETO KC and their new coach, Gabor Danyi, who will make his European debut as head coach for the Hungarian side. Danyi already had his work cut out for him, as the nightmare from last season continues with Nora Mørk side-lined for the foreseeable future following another knee injury over the weekend.

In Group D, CSM’s ambitions are high – they have the most experienced side in the competition, yet they still do not click. In one of the biggest shocks in Romanian handball, CSM lost the first game of the season against SCM Ramnicu Valcea.

GROUP C
Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) vs RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Saturday 06 October, 18:30 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Gabor Danyi, the new head coach of the Hungarian side, will make his debut in the Champions League. Under his guidance, the team tactics will be adapted to the ‘Hungarian school’.
• After an injury over the weekend, Nora Mörk is set to have her eighth surgery, which means at least four months of rest for the Norwegian right back.
• With the best young player of the 2017/18 season, Tjasa Stanko, leading Krim, it could be a tight game in Györ.

Thüringer HC vs HC Podravka Vegeta
Sunday 07 October, 14:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• THC will not play at home, as their regular arena in Bad Langensalza does not match all criteria necessary for Champions League games, so the Wiedigburgshalle in Nordhausen has become their second castle.
• By winning the qualification tournament, Podravka could have a morale boost that might be dangerous for the opponents – although they have more chance to surprise at home.
• The Croatian team won the EHF Champions League in 1995/96. Since then they have been trying to put the club back on the handball map.
• Both of the teams favour a high-scoring style, so fans can expect a real shoot-out.

GROUP D
CSM Bucuresti (ROU) vs FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN)
Friday 05 October, 18:30 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• The Romanian powerhouse are eyeing their fourth consecutive Women’s EHF FINAL4 berth, but their woes have already been on display, as they lost the Romanian Supercup to SCM Ramnicu Valcea in one of the biggest surprises in Romanian handball in the last decade.
• Magnus Karl Johansson, the ninth CSM coach in the past four seasons, will make his European debut with the Romanian side after leading them in five domestic games.
• The sides met in the quarter-final phase two seasons ago, when CSM won both matches for an aggregate score of 57:51.
• FTC, the runners-up from the Hungarian league last season, are one of the youngest sides in the competition, with an average age of 22.7. CSM are the one of the most experienced teams, with an average age of 28.9 years.

Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) vs SG BBM Bietigheim (GER)
Saturday 06 October, 18:15 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• The Norwegian side won their first domestic title last season, ending 12 seasons of domination from Larvik.
• Both teams are unbeaten in their respective domestic leagues this season: Kristiansand are on a seven-game winning streak, while Bietigheim won four games.
• The teams also met in the Women’s EHF Champions League Group Stage last season, with the German team taking both wins, 30:25 and 27:26.
• If Bietigheim win on Saturday, then they will earn their fifth victory in the Women’s EHF Champions League in 13 games.