17.01.2019, 12:30
Unbeaten Kuban and Viborg clash for top spot

ROUND PREVIEW: The two teams with a perfect record in Group C go head to head as the Women’s EHF Cup Group Phase is approaching the halfway mark this weekend, with four matches streamed live on ehfTV.com

Unbeaten Kuban and Viborg clash for top spot

Round 3 of the Women’s EHF Cup Group Phase 2018/19 will be played between Friday and Sunday, marking the midway point of the group phase.

Five teams have gatheres the maximum amount of four points so far, and two of them are playing each other on Saturday as Kuban host Viborg in Group C. The game in Krasnodar is one of four matches to be streamed live on ehfTV.com this weekend.

GROUP A

Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs SG BBM Bietigheim (GER)
Saturday 19 January, 13:00 hrs local time

• Bietigheim lead Group A with four points, followed by Esbjerg on three

• Esbjerg have scored the most goals of all teams, 69

• Both teams have not met before in a European Cup competition

Sports Club Magura Cisnadie (ROU) vs Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR)
Saturday 19 January, 18:00 hrs local time

• Magura Cisnadie lost both previous matches and have the worst goal difference in the competition, -37

• Storhamar grabbed their first point last week against Esbjerg

• Storhamar’s Betina Riegelhuth is joint second in the scoring chart with 14 goals

GROUP B

Siófok KC Hungary (HUN) vs IK Sävehof (SWE)
Saturday 19 January, 18:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Siófok top the group after two wins in as many games

• Siófok’s Andrea Kobetic is competition’s best scorer with 24 goals

• Sävehof are yet to claim their first points, but had a strong build-up as they beat Skovde 29:21 in the domestic league Wednesday

Herning-Ikast Handbold (DEN) vs TusSies Metzingen (GER)
Sunday 20 January, 16:00 hrs local time

• Both teams are level on two points after two games, but Herning-Ikast have the better goal difference

• Herning-Ikast comfortably beat Randers 29:13 in the domestic league Wednesday

• On the same day, Metzingen lost to Thüringer HC 28:26 in the German Bundesliga

GROUP C

Kuban (RUS) vs Viborg HK (DEN)
Saturday 19 January, 16:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Both sides boast a 100 per cent record after two matches

• Counting qualification, Viborg have won eight straight games in the tournament

• Kuban beat Universitet Izhevsk 37:17 in the Russian League on Wednesday

E.S Besançon Feminin (FRA) vs Larvik HK (NOR)
Sunday 20 January, 18:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com

• A must-win game for both teams, which lost their first two matches

• Larvik won three of their four previous European Cup matches

• Larvik’s first-choice goalkeeper Guro Rundbraten is likely to come back after an injury

• Besançon beat Paris 92 (33:28) in the French league on Wednesday

GROUP D

SCM Craiova (ROU) vs HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO)
Friday 18 January, 19:30 hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Title holders Craiova need to recover from their devastating 32:21 loss at Bera Bera last week

• Still, Craiova have conceded the fewest goals of all teams, 44

• Podravka are top of Group D with two wins from two matches

• Craiova’s Andrea Seric and Jelena Trifunovic played for Podravka in the past

Nykøbing Falster Håndbold-NFH (DEN) vs Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP)
Saturday 19 January, 15:00 hrs local time

• Nykøbing started with two defeats and scored just 36 goals, the fewest of all teams in the group phase

• Bera Bera have two points after as many matches

• Bera Bera beat Alcobendas 31:21 in the first leg of the Spanish Cup Last 16 on Wednesday

TEXT: Sergey Nikolaev / ew