THC and Odense seeking to clinch quarter-final berths

It is reverse time in the Women's EHF Cup this weekend. The teams who met last weekend in the third round of matches in the group phase meet again.

Boasting 100 per cent records after three rounds, Thüringer HC in group A and Odense Håndbold in group C can seal their quarter-final tickets if they record victories this weekend. 

GROUP A
Thüringer HC (GER) vs DVSC Schaeffler (HUN)
Sunday 26 January, 14:00 CET, live on ehfTV.com

• in the reverse fixture last week, Thüringer HC won 26:19 at Debrecen
• the German side top the group with six points, while second-placed DVSC have four points
• if THC win on Sunday, they will secure a quarter-final spot
• Thüringer HC's best scorer, Iveta Koresova, is sidelined through a shoulder injury
• THC beat HSG Bad Wildungen Vipers in the Bundesliga 31:21 on Wednesday; DVSC defeated Szt.Istvan SE 39:32 in the Hungarian league

DHK Banik Most (CZE) vs Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK (TUR)
Sunday 26 January, 18:00 CET

• Kastamonu beat Most at home in the previous round, 33:27, to earn their first points in the group
• Most have no points and the worst defensive record in the group phase, conceding 104 goals
• the Czech side will be eliminated if they suffer another defeat
• Kastamonu’s Asli Iskit is the third-best scorer in the competition with 34 goals

GROUP B
Magura Cisnadie (ROU) vs Kobenhavn Handball (DEN)
Sunday 26 January, 11:00 CET, live on ehfTV.com

• Cisnadie are still winless in the Women's EHF Cup group phase after nine games
• in their only previous meeting, Kobenhavn kept two points at home last week against Cisnadie with a bold victory, 33:22
• the Romanian club have the worst goal difference after three rounds played: -31

HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO) vs Siófok KC Hungary (HUN)
Sunday 26 January, 15:30 CET, live on ehfTV.com

• both sides have five points but Siófok lead group B due to their better goal difference
• Podravka took one point from title holders Siófok last week, with the match ending 30:30
• Siófok triumphed 34:29 over Győr in the domestic league on Wednesday, breaking the Champions League champions' two-year undefeated series
• Podravka have recorded seven wins and one draw since their last loss on 16 November against Vipers Kristiansand

GROUP C
MKS Lublin S.A. (POL) vs ÉRD (HUN)
Sunday 26 January, 17:00 CET, live on ehfTV.com

• ÉRD took a comfortable 29:24 win when the two sides met a week ago
• Lublin have only one point and a loss would see them out of contention for a quarter-final berth
• The Polish champions have scored the fewest goals of any team in the group phase: 64 goals
• The Hungarian side are second in the group and a win would bring them closer to securing a quarter-final berth
• ÉRD lost by the slimmest of margins on Wednesday, 33:32, against FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria in the domestic league
• Czech left back Marketa Jerabkova has scored 30 goals for ÉRD in the EHF Cup 2019/20 and is the competition's fourth top scorer

CS Gloria 2018 Bistrita-Nasaud (ROU) vs Odense Håndbold (DEN)
Sunday 26 January, 17:00 CET, live on ehfTV.com

• Odense will clinch a quarter-final berth if they win
• the Danish side have conceded the fewest goals in the competition (64) and have the best goal difference (+24)
• Bistrita are winless up until this point in the group phase, earning two draws from three matches
• Odense won against Bistrita one week ago, 25:19, despite being down by two after 40 minutes
• Bistrita had a break in the domestic league, while Odense lost 28:27 against Ajax København in the Danish League

GROUP D
Herning-Ikast Handbold (DEN) vs SG BBM Bietigheim (GER)
Saturday 25 January, 14.00 CET

• The two teams drew 26:26 after a dramatic finish in their first meeting last weekend
• Herning-Ikast are on top of the group with five points, while Bietigheim are in second position with three points
• Herning-Ikast won 27:16 away against Skanderborg Håndbold in the Danish league on Wednesday
• on the same evening, Bietigheim won 30:25 away against HSG Bensheim/Auerbach in the Bundesliga

Handball Club Lada (RUS) vs Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR)
Saturday 25 January, 14:00 CET, live on ehfTV.com

• Lada earned their first points by winning 33:28 away against Storhamar last Sunday
• both teams are on two points before the meeting in Togliatti
• in 18-year-old left back Elena Mikhaylichenko, Lada have the current EHF Cup top scorer with 44 goals
• Lada won 37:23 at home on Wednesday against Dinamo-Sinara in the Russian top flight
• Storhamar defeated Tertnes 37:26 on away ground in the Norwegian league, also recording a double-digit margin