Preview of Men´s Challenge Cup Last 16, second leg
Some matches look to be real thrillers, while other encounters more or less seem like formalities, when the second leg of the Men´s Challenge Cup Last 16 is played over the upcoming weekend. In one case matches of both legs will be played over Saturday and Sunday.
The winners will qualify for the top eight of this competition. The draw of the quarter-finals will be carried out on Tuesday, 26 February at 15.00 hrs local time in Vienna.
RK Spartak Vojput vs. Handball Esch
Saturday 18.00
Esch from Luxembourg have an apparently reassuring eight goal lead with to Serbia, and Vojput will probably need all the support they can get from their local spectators to turn the tables.
KS Azoty-Pulawy vs. Initia Hasselt
Saturday 18.00
Although the Poles were three up several times in the first leg in Belgium, the 21:21 draw from that match will probably be a satisfactory starting point for them at home.
PAOK vs. Runar IL
Saturday 18.00
The Norwegians can fly to Thessaloniki with peace in mind. After having won 36:26 at home, their access to the quarter-finals should not be endangered by the Greek club.
SPE Strovolos vs. C.S.U Suceava
Saturday 18.00
We may be in for real thriller in Cyprus, as the Romanians are only up with one goal after their 35:34 win at home, and Strovolos may allow themselves to hope ahead of the return match in Nicosia.
Klaipeda “Dragunas” vs. Radnicki Kragujevac
Saturday 18.30
Radnicki Kragujevac vs. Klaipeda “Dragunas”
Sunday at 17.00
The two teams are deciding their tie within this weekend in Lithuania with less than 24 hours between the first and second leg. What the double home advantage will mean to the current number one in the Lithuanian league against the Serbs is hard to predict.
HC Izvidac vs. Drammen HK
Saturday 19.00
With the Norwegians being 21 goals ahead after their stunning 41:20 at home, the match in Ljubuški is a mere formality, where only honour is at stake for the Bosnians.
Ankara Spor vs. A.C. Doukas
Sunday 17.00
Being six goals down after their visit to Greece last Saturday, when they lost 29:23, the Turks have a lot of catching up to do, if they want to be among the last eight.
Pallamano Pressano vs. SKA Minsk
Sunday 18.00
Belarusia will be represented in the quarter-finals. That is practically inevitable after Minsk´s 39:25 home win last weekend. They will not have had sleepless nights before flying to Italy.
TEXT: Peter Bruun / br
|
