11.02.2016, 03:00
Last 16 start in Lisbon and Bergen

ROUND PREVIEW: The Last 16 of the Men's Challenge Cup start Friday with matches in Portugal and Norway.

Last 16 start in Lisbon and Bergen

Lisbon and Bergen will be the venues of the first matches, when the first leg of the Last 16 in the Men's Challenge Cup take place this weekend.

In the Portuguese capital, the Pavilhao EDP Benfica Lisboa is hosting the first part of a double-header between S.L. Benfica and Greek A.C. Filippos Verias Friday evening. The return match is being played in the same arena Saturday evening.

Framohallen in Norway's second largest city, Bergen is also housing a double-header Friday and Saturday. FyllingenBerge are receiving HC Radnicki Kragujevac from Serbia, and the Norwegian side is keen on revenge after losing 34:25 to former VELUX EHF Champions League participants Elverum in the domestic league earlier this week.

“We only have short time to rise after that defeat, but that is exactly what we intend to do. We are going to take this out on our Serbian opponents, as we have to go on in Europe,” Fyllingen coach Vidar Gjesdal told his club's website.

The coming weekend will be seeing a third double-header, and just like the meeting between Benfica and Filippos Verias, it is taking place in Portugal.

In Braga in Northern Portugal, ABC/UMinho are receiving HC Kehra from Estonia Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

ABC/UMinho reached the final of the tournament last season and will undoubtedly be eager to do so again, so the Estonian visitors are probably in for a couple of tough days in Braga.

Four others ties have the first leg this weekend, while the meeting between Handball Team Celik from Bosnia and Swiss Wacker Thun is being played as a double-header in Switzerland next weekend.
 

TEXT: Peter Bruun / br