21.02.2014, 01:00
Confident Sävehof welcome Minsk

ROUND PREVIEW: The quarter-finalists in the Men´s EHF Challenge Cup will be known after two doubleheaders and six return matches this weekend

Confident Sävehof welcome Minsk

IK Sävehof should be full of self-confidence when they receive HC Victory Regia Minsk for a doubleheader in the Last 16 of the Men´s EHF Challenge Cup this weekend.

In their latest match, Sävehof defeated EHF Cup participants Lugi HF 29:25 at home in the Swedish league, and the team under the experienced coach Magnus Johansson could probably not have dreamed of a better dress rehearsal ahead of the two matches against Minsk in Partillebohallen on Saturday and Sunday.

Another double header is taking place in Belgium, where United HC Tongeren host SPE Strovolos from Cyprus in two matches at the Eburons Dome in Tongeren on Friday and Saturday.

According their own website, Tongeren see Strovolos as a task they should be able to solve. If they do, they take revenge for their countrymen from KV Saja HC, who were sent out of the tournament by none other than Strovolos in the previous round.

The remaining six ties are being decided in the second leg this weekend, where Aguas Santas-Milaneza are virtually in the quarter-final already after a 41:22 win against KB BESA Famiglia from Kosovo at home in Portugal last weekend.

Cocks from Finland and ZTR Zaporozhye from Ukraine are also almost in the next round after Cocks won 31:20 away against HC Spartak from Bulgaria, and ZTR take a 27:17 win with them into the second leg against A. C. Doukas in Greece.

KS “Azoty-Pulawy” should also be able to reach the quarter-finals, as the Polish team lead 36:29 after their away game against Turkish Nilüfer BK. Meanwhile things are looking gloomier for Poland´s other representative, Górnik Zabrze, who are down 22:23 against HC Odorhei before going to Romania for the return match.

The most open tie is the Croatian-Serbian clash between HRK “Karlovac” and RK Metaloplastika Sabac, where Metaloplastika take a relatively narrow 26:22 lead with them to Croatia.

TEXT: Peter Bruun / cor