27.09.2019, 01:12
Kristianstad and Eurofarm Rabotnik chasing first points

GROUP C/D PREVIEW: IFK Kristianstad and HC Eurofarm Rabotnik are both chasing their first points in the VELUX EHF Champions League in difficult away games Sunday

Kristianstad and Eurofarm Rabotnik chasing first points

The pressure is on both IFK Kristianstad and HC Eurofarm Rabotnik this weekend, as neither side have claimed any points in the VELUX EHF Champions League 2019/20.

It will be unbeaten Bidasoa that welcome winless Rabotnik to Irun on Sunday afternoon in a match which, based on their points tallies, may suggest a foregone conclusion. There is more than meets the eye, however, as the Macedonian club lost both of their opening matches by a single goal and guarantee a battle in their hunt for their first VELUX EHF Champions League points.

In group D, Kristianstad are facing a tough away match on Sunday, as they visit Orlen Wisla Plock. Elsewhere, Chekhovskie medvedi will travel to Switzerland to face Kadetten Schaffhausen.

Plock and Schaffhausen are both in need of points in order to draw closer to the top of the group, after C. S. Dinamo Bucuresti won the top game against GOG 35:28 on Wednesday.

GROUP C
Bidasoa Irun (ESP) vs HC Eurofarm Rabotnik (MKD)
Sunday 29 September, 12:10 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Bidasoa will be aiming for a repeat performance of last week’s impressive 34:19 victory over Cocks, which was their first home match in the competition in 23 years

• It has been a frustrating start to Rabotnik’s first top-flight campaign, as they lost both of their matches by a single goal after leading at half-time

• The hosts have the best defensive record in the competition so far, conceding just 42 goals in their two games

• Bidasoa enjoyed a midweek ASOBAL league victory, 26:19 against Puente Genil, while Rabotnik beat Serbian side Metaloplastika 32:21 in the SEHA League on Monday

GROUP D
Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) vs IFK Kristianstad (SWE)
Sunday 29 September, 17:30 local time, live on ehftv.com

• Wisla Plock enter the match with two points, while Kristianstad are on zero

• Kristianstad are undefeated against Plock so far, counting a win and a draw from the two previous meetings

• In the domestic league, Plock won 25:20 at home against Men’s EHF Cup participants NMC Gornik Zabrze on Tuesday

• Kristianstad suffered their first defeat of the season in the Swedish league on Wednesday, losing no less than 30:20 at home to another EHF Cup team, HK Malmö 

Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI) vs Chekhovskie medvedi (RUS) 
Sunday 29 September, 19:00 local time, live on ehftv.com

• Both teams are chasing their first win, with Schaffhausen having one point and Chekhov still on zero

• Both teams enter the game on the back of defeats in the previous round of Champions League encounters

• Kadetten won as clearly as 31:19 at home against RTV Basel in the Swiss league on Wednesday, while Chekhov have a match-free week

TEXT: Chris O'Reilly / Peter Bruun / cg