28.02.2014, 10:04
Only three quarter-finals this weekend

ROUND PREVIEW: Only three matches will be played in the quarter-finals in the Women's Challenge Cup this weekend.

Only three quarter-finals this weekend

The tie between HC BMS Milenium from Serbia and PO SC Galytchanka-Lviv from Ukraine is being played as a double header on 10 and 11 March.
In the three first leg matches this weekend, Issy Paris Hand receive DHC Slavia Praha in Paris, while Virto/Quintus take on Union Mios Biganos-Begles, and H 65 Höör are visiting Ardesen GSK.

Issy Paris Hand (FRA) vs DHC Slavia Praha (CZE)
Sunday 2 March, 16.00 local time

Issy Paris Hand seemed to be the team all the other quarter-finalist wanted to avoid. Slavia Praha have got the honour of meeting the French team, the first leg taking place in the Palaise de Sport Robert Charpentier Sunday afternoon, and Anne-Sophie Kpozé, right back in the Paris team, is looking forward to the game for several reasons.

“Those European matches always mean a nice break from the matches in the domestic league, and it is always interesting to meet foreign teams.

"We do not know a lot about our opponents, but to us it will be a matter of getting as much as possible out of our home match in order not to be in a bad position ahead of the match in the Czech Republic,”  Anne-Sophie Kpozé said.

Slavia coach Tomas Hlavaty expects a difficult Sunday in France. “We will be meeting a team with a lot of quality and experience and with a particularly strong defence and many highly skilled players,” Hlavatý told Slavia's website.

Virto/Quintus (NED) vs Union Mios Biganos-Begles (FRA)
Sunday 2 March, 15.30 local time

After having played both matches in the Last 16 against Colegio de Gaia in Portugal, Virto/Quintus will be playing in front of their own spectators for the first time in the Challenge Cup this season, when they meet Union Mios Biganos-Begles in the Van der Voort Hal in Kwintsheul Sunday afternoon.

To Quintus player Daisy Hage the match will be extra special. The right winger turns 21 on the day of the match.

“Union have a team who is a bit older than us. There average age is 28 years, but if they have more experience, we have more speed. To me a win would obviously be a wonderful birthday present,” Daisy Hage told her club's website.

Emmanuel Mayonnade, head coach by Mios is looking forward to meeting the Dutch team, but cautious at the same time.

“This team (Virto/Quintus) has been working very well for a couple of years now. They have got really talented young players.
“We'll have to be focused and precise, just like in the precedent round against Bern to make it to the next stage,” Mayonnade said.

Ardesen GSK (TUR) vs H 65 Höör (SWE)
Sunday 2 March, 16.00 local time

After eliminating Serbian ZRK Naisa Nis in two home matches in the Last 16, a Scandinavian team is now on the menu for Ardesen, as their opponents in the quarter-final are Swedish H 65 Höör who reached the semi-final in the tournament last season.

When H 65 were drawn against the European debutants from Turkey, H 65 coach Niklas Harris called it a dream scenario.

After having gathered some more information about his team's Turkish opponent, he is still optimimistic.

“It will be an interesting task, as Ardesen have an interesting mix of players and a good home court with an enthusiastic home crowd. If both matches were to be played in Turkey, I think Ardesen would have had the advantage, but they way things are, they will have come and visit us in Sweden next weekend, so I definitey thing we can solve the task.” Niklas Harris told eurohandball.com.

Futher information

Find the complete schedule of the Women's Challenge Cup Quarter-finals here

TEXT: Peter Bruun / br