Reigning champions Costa del Sol Malaga start the defense of their EHF European Cup Women title with a double-header in their home arena this weekend.

The Spanish titleholders, who were among the seven teams directly seeded into round 3 of the competition, host Dutch side HV Quintus in Antequera on Saturday and Sunday.

Other prominent contenders, two-time EHF Champions League finalists WHC Vardar, also face opposition from Netherlands as they meet JuRo Unirek VZV.

• this weekend seven round 3 ties, including Malaga vs Quintus as the only double-header, start with the first leg
• round 3 opens Friday, when UHC Stockerau play at home in Austria against HC DAC Dunajska Streda from neighbouring Slovakia
• two-time EHF Challenge Cup winners Rocasa Gran Canaria host Sweden’s Skara IF on Sunday
• alongside the six second-leg ties, a total of nine double-headers are scheduled for next week from Thursday through Sunday

Vardar approaching next step

Two-time EHF Champions League runners-up WHC Vardar, who have returned to the European stage this season after a three-year break, had no big problems in round 2, beating KHF Prishtina twice: 39:35 and 32:27.

Now the team from North Macedonia, whose squad mostly consists of young players, is facing the next step on their way back to the European top. They host VZV in Skopje in the first leg on Saturday, before travelling to the small 1500-inhabitant village ’t Veld in the northwestern part of Netherlands next week.