24.11.2017, 01:40
Eight Last 16 tickets still up for grabs

ROUND PREVIEW: With half of the teams for the Last 16 of the Men's Challenge Cup already found, the remaining eight tickets are up for grabs this weekend.

Eight Last 16 tickets still up for grabs

Half of the participants for the Last 16 of the Men's Challenge Cup were already found in double-headers last weekend. This weekend, 16 hopeful teams are ready to fight out the remaining half of the tickets among them. The Last 16 draw will take place on Tuesday 28 November (11:00 hrs) at the EHF Office in Vienna and will be streamed live on youtube and Facebook.

Five of the ties are also being carried out as double-headers, and two of them start already Friday.

This goes for the first leg of the meeting between MSK Povazska Bystrica and HC Lovcen. The first match between the Slovakian and the Montenegrin team throws off in the Sport Hall MSK in Povazska Bystrica Friday in the early evening hours.

Both clubs have fond memories of the EHF Champions League, where Lovcen even reached the quarter-final in the 2000/01 season.

Povazska Bystrica's Champions League achievements are limited to group phase berths in 2003/04 and again in 2006/07. The second leg of the two teams' internal Challenge Cup tie is taking place Saturday.

In Izmir in Turkey, the action also starts Friday night. Göztepe SK, who reached the third round of the Challenge Cup in their maiden European voyage last season, are trying to go a step further, when hosting the double-header against Greek AC PAOK.

PAOK are back in Europe after three years of absence. The Greek club's latest achievement was reaching the third round of the Challenge Cup in the 2013/14 season, while their finest result was reaching the group phase if the Champions League back in the 2009/10 season.

The return match of this tie is taking place on Sunday, so both teams have a day off in between.

A further double-header is taking place in Mitrovica, Kosovo, where KH Trepca are celebrating their European comeback after 11 years by hosting the two matches against AHC Potaissa Turda from Romania.

Turda reached the Challenge Cup final last season, where they lost against Sporting CP from Portugal, so despite the home advantage, KH Trepca may get their hands full in the two matches Saturday and Sunday.

However, not all eight remaining Last 16 berths is being decided in double-headers this weekend.

In Lithuania's second largest city, Kaunas, “Granitas-Karys” Kaunas are chasing a four-goal deficit when receiving HC Eurofarm Rabotnik from FYR Macedonia Saturday afternoon. The Macedonian team won the first leg at home 28:24.

Four goals are also what Handball Kaerjeng will have to catch up with, if the team from Luxembourg is to proceed to the next round.
Kaerjeng lost 31:27 in Russia to SKIF Krasnodar last Saturday. Saturday night in Bascharage in Luxembourg, the Russian team will be trying to defend that lead in the second leg.

Find a complete overview of all matches here.

TEXT: Peter Bruun / br