All eyes on Hungarian derby

There will be four games left after the final whistle is blown in the all-Hungarian clash between FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria and Györi Audi ETO KC, but the title holders could become the first team to secure a quarter-final berth this weekend.

Györ have won all seven of their games played in the Women’s EHF Champions League this season by at least three goals and have an astonishing average of 35 scored per game.

If Krim do not win against CSM, a Györ victory over FTC would take them through to the next stage, while a four-game winning streak sees Vipers Kristiansand in a battle for second place against the Romanian powerhouse.

GROUP 2
CSM Bucuresti (ROU) vs RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Saturday 2 February, 17:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com 

• CSM are fresh from their worst defeat ever in the Women’s EHF Champions League – 36:27, against Györ, in the first main round match

• Krim have scored only 177 goals this season – the lowest number among the 12 teams still in the competition

• The Romanian side could improve their chances of progression to the next phase with a victory, opening a five-point gap between themselves and Krim

• The sides have met in Europe’s top competition the past two seasons, with CSM securing four wins out of four games

FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) vs Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN)
Saturday 2 February, 17:30 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• The sides have clashed in the Women’s EHF Champions League twice, in the quarter-final phase three seasons ago, with Györ winning both games

• The title holders are on a 15-game winning streak in the Women’s EHF Champions League, with the last loss coming against CSM in January 2018

• The guests already took a victory against FTC in 2019: 39:33, in the Hungarian league

• Györ won the domestic title last season in dramatic fashion – though they were level with FTC on points, the Champions League winners had a superior goal difference: +292 to FTC’s +291 

Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) vs Thüringer HC (GER)
Saturday 2 February, 18:15 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Vipers are on a historic four-game winning streak in the Champions League, and hope to extend it against the last-placed team in the group

• There have been no previous encounters in European competitions between the sides

• Thüringer are in a must-win situation, as they have only one point from the first five games in the competition

• Both teams recorded away victories in their domestic leagues on Wednesday. Thüringer won 31:28 against Bad Willungen, while Vipers had a huge goal-scoring outing against Raelingen in their 45:31 victory