18.03.2016, 03:10
The first semi-finalist will be found this weekend

PREVIEW: ABC/UMinho and Wacker Thun opened the quarter-finals in the Men's Challenge Cup last Saturday and they will finish their tie this weekend, when three other ties begin.

The first semi-finalist will be found this weekend

Last weekend, ABC/UMinho and Wacker Thun already started the quarter-finals in the Men´s Challenge Cup with a 30:23 win at home. The Portuguese team, which reached the final last season, took an important step towards the semi-final.

On Saturday, the two teams meet again in the Sporthalle Lachen in Thun, where the Swiss team will try to catch up with the seven goal distance.

Also this weekend, six other teams will be fighting in order to get the better position ahead of the second leg that will take place on the Easter weekend.

FyllingenBergen finished fourth in the Norwegian league and along with preparing for the domestic championship play-offs, they can now focus on reaching the semi-final of the Challenge Cup.

Their opponent in the quarter-final is FIQAS Aalsmeer from the Netherlands, who will be visiting Framohallen for the first leg on Saturday afternoon.

With ABC/UMinho leading by seven goals against Wacker Thun before their trip to Switzerland, Portugal already has a good chance to be represented in the semi-finals.

However, Portuguese handball may even have two teams among the last four. Saturday afternoon, S.L. Benfica from Lisbon are welcoming St. Petersburg HC from Russia for the first leg in the Pavilhao EDP Benfica Lisboa.

In fact, St. Petersburg is one out of no less than five teams in the quarter-finals, who all have been in the EHF Champions League in the past – FyllingenBergen, Wacker Thun, HC Dukla Praha and ABC/UMinho being the other four.

For the second round in a row, HC Dukla Praha are up against a Belgian opposition. After beating HC Vise BM in the Last 16, KV Sasja HC are now on the menu for the Czech team.

The current number three in the Belgian league has the home advantage in the first leg in the Sportcomplex Sorghvliedt in Hoboken on Sunday evening.

TEXT: Peter Bruun / es