17.10.2019, 02:00
Herning-Ikast to visit Belarus for double-header

ROUND PREVIEW: Three double-headers and 13 second-leg matches, many of them streamed live on ehfTV.com, will complete the line-up for the third and last qualifying round of the Women’s EHF Cup

Herning-Ikast to visit Belarus for double-header

Action in qualification round 2 of the Women’s EHF Cup 2019/20 will be wrapped up this weekend when three double-headers and 13 second-leg matches will produce 16 winning teams, with the following matches streamed live on ehfTV.com:

Friday 18 October
Herning-Ikast Handbold vs HC Gomel, 18:00 CEST

Saturday 19 October
Kuban vs H 65 Höörs HK, 15:00 CEST
Astrakhanochka vs Buxtehuder SV, 17:00 CEST
Magura Cisnadie vs HC Galychanka Lviv, 17:00 CEST 
Herning-Ikast Handbold vs HC Gomel, 18:00 CEST

Sunday 20 October
Nantes Atlantique Handball vs H.V. Quintus, 18:00 CEST

The 16 teams will join Danish side Odense Håndbold, who already qualified after the only double-header last week, into the last qualification round ahead of the group phase.

Also, seven more teams, including title-holders Siofók KC Hungary, will enter the competition in qualification round 3.

Three double-headers scheduled this weekend

Last season’s semi-finalists Herning-Ikast Handbold start their campaign with a double-header against Belarusian champions HC Gomel. Both matches will be played in Gomel, on Friday and Saturday, and both will be streamed live on ehfTV.com.

Herning-Ikast against Gomel is one of three double-headers scheduled for this weekend. The 2018 champions, SCM Craiova, will host Norway’s Tertnes Bergen in Romania on Saturday and Sunday, and Nantes Atlantique Handball will play twice against Dutch side H.V. Quintus in France on Saturday and Sunday, with the decisive leg streamed live on ehfTV.com.

The 13 remaining teams will advance from the ties that started last week. After the first legs, some teams have all but secured their spots in qualification round 3.

Storhamar have 15-goal buffer

Storhamar Handball Elite is one of those teams. Last season’s quarter-finalists from Norway have a 15-goal buffer after beating Metraco Zaglebie Lubin in Poland 38:23 a week ago.

Following a five-goal win at Buxtehuder SV (30:25), Astrakhanochka also have a good chance to progress. However, the Russian side’s coach, Vlatko Djonovic, is cautious ahead of the return match on Saturday, which will be streamed live on ehfTV.com

“It was just the first part of our duel. I think Buxtehuder will play more aggressively in Astrakhan, so we will have to work hard in defence,” Djonovic said.

Another Russian team, Kuban, lost the first leg at H 65 Höörs HK (28:26) but the small margin gives last season’s quarter-finalists a decent chance to come out on top on Saturday.

Still, Höör coach Ola Mansson is hopeful that his team will defend their advantage: “Our team plays well in away matches, at least not worse than at home.”

In another Swedish-Russian duel the situation is different: following a seven-goal home victory against IF Skuru (29:22), HC Zvezda are in a good position to progress to round 3.

German sides to defend advantage

Nothing is clear yet in the clash between Byasen Handball Elite and Thüringer HC. The German side won 29:25 at home but Byasen are determined to claim a bigger win at home in Trondheim on Sunday.

TUSSIES Metzingen seem to have an easier task than THC as they beat Kobenhavn Handball by as many as eight goals (30:22) last week. For the Danish team, who played in the Champions League last season, it will be hard to make up that deficit on Sunday and go through.

Magura Cisnadie, who reached the group stage last season, also won by eight goals last weekend, giving HC Galychanka Lviv un uphill task in the return match on Saturday.

TEXT: Sergey Nikolaev / ew