25.11.2013, 10:36
Three more teams among the Last 16

ROUND REVIEW: Three teams qualified this weekend to join the three already seeded teams among the Last 16 of the Men’s Challenge Cup.

Three more teams among the Last 16

IK Sävehof from Sweden, KH BESA Famiglia from Kosovo and HRK Karlovac from Croatia are all ready for the Last 16 after clear aggregate wins in double header this weekend. Here they will join Greek A. C. Doukas, Portuguese Aguas Santas-Milaneza and Romanian HC Odorhei.

KH BESA Famiglia had British visitors in the form of Salford who were defeated 54:75 on aggregate after 27:40 for the hosts in the first leg and 27:35 in the second match.

Karlovac’s road to the Last 16 also went over British opposition, as Manchester HC were defeated 14:43 on Saturday and 15:36 on Sunday which gave a Croatian 79:29 all in all victory over the two days.

IK Sävehof did not have a particularly troublesome weekend either, as they defeated PGU-Kartina TV Tiraspol 88:45 after a 50:26 win in Kungsälv Saturday and a 38:19 victory in Partille Sunday.

“We were good at staying focused all the way. Seven or eight substitutes got the chance to show what they could do, and they did well,” Sävehof coach Magnus Johansson told the club’s website after the total win against the Moldovans.

KS Azoty-Pulawy may also be close to being congratulated to a place among the Last 16, even though they still have to play a home game in Poland against Özel Idare SK. However, after the Polish 35:20 win in Turkey this weekend, the return match should be a formality – although the big win was only secured in the second half, as the score was 12:14 after the first 30 minutes.

Last season, Initia Hasselt made it to the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup. However, the Belgians may have to work pretty hard to keep the chance alive for a similar achievement in this edition of the tournament. A 37:30 away defeat to European debutants Handball Zabrze makes things rather difficult for Hasselt ahead of the home match against the Polish team.

Things look even gloomier for the other Belgian team in the competition, KV Sasja HC who lost 31:21 to SPE Strovolos in Cyprus, while JMS Hurry-Up from the Netherlands still have the chance against Turkish Nilüfer BK after a 32:27 away defeat, and things are wide open in the Serbian tie between HC Vrbas and RK Metaloplastika Sabac after Vrbas’ 26:25 home win in the first leg. Belarusian Viktory Regia Minsk made a step in a right direction towards the Last 16 as they beat Greek side AC PAOK 28:21.

Further information

Find the complete overview of the first leg matches here

TEXT: Peter Bruun / br