25.11.2015, 10:30
Göppingen to finish the job on Wednesday

ROUND PREVIEW: Second leg off to an early start in Qualification Round 3 of the Men's EHF Cup.

Göppingen to finish the job on Wednesday

The final race to reach the group phase of the Men's EHF Cup is on, and the action starts already on Wednesday night, as the second leg of Qualification Round 3 launches in the EWS Arena of Göppingen, Germany.

Frisch Auf Göppingen are receiving Górnik Zabrze from Poland in what looks like a formality after the Bundesliga team won the first leg in Poland as big as 39:29.

The rest of the third round matches are all in the coming weekend, where France seems to have a good chance of getting three teams to the group phase.

All three French teams in the tournament got fine results away in the first leg, although Saint-Raphael Var Handball was the only team who won.

Saint-Raphael could fly home from Iceland with a 29:28 win against Haukar, and this result obviously makes the French team favourites to reach the group phase, when the two teams meet again in the Palais des Sports JF Krakowski in Saint-Raphael on Sunday afternoon.

The other two French teams in the competition also have good odds after draws away in the weekend.

Chambery Savoie Handball shocked ruling EHF Cup winners Füchse Berlin by getting a 31:31 draw in Berlin, and the pressure is huge on the German team ahead of the return match in Le Phare of Chambery Saturday night.

HBC Nantes drew 26:26 in Croatia against RK Nexe who were in the group phase last season, but who are likely to be facing some difficulties in copying that achievement, when they visit the Salle Sportive de la Trocadiere for the return match Saturday evening.

One of the three Spanish representatives in the tournament this season, Fraikin BM. Granollers have a very good chance to copy their achievement for last season and advance to the group phase.

Granollers are leading 29:21 after their home game against OIF Arendal before entering the Sparebanken Sör Amfi in Arendal for the second leg Sunday evening.

60 Norwegian fans were accompanying Arendal to the first leg in Spain, but they were unable to help the Norwegian league winners from last season to a win, and it is a big question, if the support from the home crowd on Sunday will be enough to enable Arendal to catch up with the eight-goal deficit.

Switzerland also still has the chance to be represented among the 16 teams in the group phase.

While things look gloomy for TSV St. Otmar St. Gallen, who are chasing a 30:20 deficit when receiving Danish Aalborg Handball on Saturday, the chances are considerably better for their countrymen, Pfadi Winterthur.

Winterthur are defending a 29:25 lead from their home game, when they travel to Poland for their second meeting with KS Azoty-Pulawy.

Pulawy are debutants in the EHF Cup after four successive years in the Challenge Cup, but the fact that their match in Switzerland last weekend was their first EHF Cup match ever, did not keep them from putting up a great fight, and Pfadi Winterthur are likely to have to work hard for their possible group phase berth.

Find the second leg matches overview of the EHF Cup Qualification Round 3 here

TEXT: Peter Bruun / br