Five teams eye main round berths

With only three rounds completed in Group C, the race for the three main round berths is already becoming clearer.

After a clean sweep of victories, Brest can secure safe passage with a win against Bietigheim, while the German champions are playing for their survival after three consecutive losses.

Meanwhile, a sold-out “Traian” Arena will try to elevate SCM Ramnicu Valcea, in what could prove Buducnost’s biggest test of the season in this phase of the competition. The Montenegrin side already lost against Brest and cannot afford another slip-up ahead of the main round.

Over in Group D, Győr are still unbeaten and will secure a main round berth with a win against Krim. Moreover, the title holders can even clinch first place in a group provided Most fail to win against Sävehof.

Most can also earn safe passage to the next round if they win against Sävehof, as the Swedish side are still eyeing their first win of the season on home court.

GROUP C
SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU) vs Buducnost (MNE)
Friday 1 November, 18:30 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• both Valcea and Buducnost can clinch a main round berth with a win, provided Bietigheim lose against Brest
• there will be a full house in Valcea, with 3,200 fans flocking to see their team, whose last home loss at this stage of the competition came in the 2008/09 season
• the Romanian side lost their last two games, while Buducnost won theirs, Buducnost won the first game between the two sides 23:19
• the sides met 11 times in European competitions, with Buducnost taking six wins, but winning only once in Romania

Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) vs SG BBM Bietigheim (GER)
Saturday 2 November, 15:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Brest are on their best winning run in Europe’s top flight, with three victories in a row
• the French side will clinch a main round berth with a draw on Saturday, while Bietigheim will be eliminated if they lose
• Bietigheim have never lost four games in a row in the competition, an unwanted record facing them this weekend
• the two sides met two weeks ago in Germany, with Brest taking a 35:32 win

GROUP D
IK Sävehof (SWE) vs DHK Banik Most (CZE)
Saturday 2 November, 13:30 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Sävehof still wait for their first victory in the competition this season
• a victory will preserve the Czech champions hold on second spot in the group
• the game is part of a double-header for Sävehof in Partille, with the men’s team in VELUX EHF Champions League action immediately afterwards

Győri Audi ETO KC (HUN) vs RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Saturday 2 November, 17:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Krim’s Alja Varagic is the fifth top scorer in the competition with 21 goals, accounting for 28 per cent of her side’s goals
• Györ are still unbeaten since their loss on 22 January 2018 against CSM Bucuresti
• victory will see Gábor Danyi’s squad reach the main round regardless of other results