29.11.2013, 08:57
Nine more Last 16 tickets at stake

ROUND PREVIEW: Three teams directly seeded and three other already qualified will see nine possible Last 16 opponents coming this weekend. The last ticket will be given only on 15 December.

Nine more Last 16 tickets at stake

With six teams in the round of the Last 16 already, and one tie waiting until the middle of December, nine tickets for the round of the Last 16 in the Men’s Challenge Cup are up for grabs this weekend.

With AC Doukas (GRE), Aguas Santas-Milaneza (POR) and HC Odorhei (ROU) seeded for the Last 16, where KH BESA Famiglia (KOS), IK Sävehof (SWE) and HRK Karlovac (CRO) joined them last weekend there are nine further tickets at stake this weekend, as the tie between Ukrainian ZTR Zaporozhye and Moldovan Olimpus-85 USEFS is not being played until 14 and 15 December.

Double-headers in Finland and Bulgaria

This weekend will see two double-headers. In Finland’s Riihimäki, Pallamano Pressano are visiting Cocks for two matches Saturday and Sunday afternoon, while Bulgarian Spartak have British visitors in Varna. Ruislip Eagles are flying into the Palace of Culture and Sport for both legs Saturday and Sunday.

Among the return matches this weekend, things are most open in Sabac in Serbia, where RK Metaloplastika are receiving HC Vrbas Saturday evening for the second leg of this all-Serbian clash. Vrbas won the first leg at home 26:25, and another drama is absolutely not impossible.

JMS to hurry against Turkish visitors

Nilüfer BK have a more comfortable cushion with them to the Concrete People Arena in Zwartemeer in the Netherlands. The Turkish side won the first leg 32:27 against JMS Hurry-Up, so the Dutch hosts may really have to hurry in order to catch up with that deficit.

Even more reassuring is the lead which HC Victory Regia Minsk are taking with them to Greece and the second leg against AC PAOK. A 28:21 lead ahead of the Saturday night match in Thesssaloniki definitely makes an aggregate victory for Victory possible.

Two sides of Belgian coin

Handball Zabrze can also take a seven-goal lead with them abroad, as they will be defending a 37:30 win from last weekend’s match in Poland, when they enter the Sporthal Alverberg in Belgian Hasselt for the second match against Initia.

If things look a bit gloomy for Hasselt, they look considerably better for another Belgian team, United HC Tongeren who are leading 31:24 before receiving HB Dudelange from Luxembourg.

SPE Strovolos from Cyprus should possibly not be able to lose their 31:21 lead in the away match against the third Belgian team, KV Sasja HC, while the match between Polish KS Azoty-Pulawy and Turkish Özel Idare SK looks like a formality, with the Poles leading 35:20 after the first leg.

Further information

Find the complete overview of the second leg matches here

TEXT: Peter Bruun / br