17.10.2019, 05:07
Sunday showdown in Irun; new challenges for top group D teams

GROUP C/D PREVIEW: The only unbeaten sides in group C, Sävehof and Bidasoa Irun, go head to head at the beginning of a full Sunday schedule, while top group D teams Dinamo Bucuresti and GOG face new challenges in their efforts to keep the play-off positions

Sunday showdown in Irun; new challenges for top group D teams

Bidasoa Irun and IK Sävehof both hope to take a huge step towards the elimination round with victory in Sunday afternoon’s clash of the top two teams in group C of the VELUX EHF Champions League 2019/20. 

Meanwhile, Sporting CP face a tricky test away at Cocks, as they aim to keep their hope of progression alive, while TATRAN Presov’s next attempt to secure their first win comes against a HC Eurofarm Rabotnik side who enjoyed the sweet taste of victory for the first time in the Champions League last weekend.

C.S. Dinamo Bucuresti and GOG both celebrated successes in group D last week. While Dinamo won clearly against Chekhovskie medvedi in Russia, GOG took a crucial home victory against Orlen Wisla Plock.

This weekend, Dinamo will try to hold onto the top spot when visiting third-ranked Orlen Wisla Plock, while second-placed GOG host Kadetten Schaffhausen, who are in fourth position. The two teams at the bottom of the group D table, IFK Kristianstad and Chekhovskie medvedi, will meet in Sweden.

GROUP C
Bidasoa Irun (ESP) vs IK Sävehof (SWE)
Sunday 20 October, 12:10 CEST, live on ehfTV.com

  • Clash of the only two unbeaten clubs in group C

  • Sävehof’s perfect winning record so far this season is matched only by Paris Saint-Germain, while Irun dropped their first point in round 4’s draw away to Sporting

  • Both sides have displayed solid defence so far and are the only clubs in groups C/D to concede fewer than 100 goals in four matches

  • In their domestic leagues, Irun returned to winning form with a 30:27 victory over Huesca on Wednesday, while Sävehof suffered a 28:24 loss to EHF Cup participants Malmö

HC Eurofarm Rabotnik (MKD) vs TATRAN Presov (SVK)
Sunday 20 October, 17:00 CEST, live on ehfTV.com

  • After 2,500 fans witnessed their first victory in the competition last Sunday, Rabotnik stay in Bitola to welcome Presov to town

  • The Slovakian side are still on the hunt for their first points of the campaign

  • Although Presov right wing Javier Munoz is the competition’s third top scorer with 26 goals, the team have the poorest scoring record in groups C/D

  • Both sides are enjoying more successful results in the SEHA league, sitting in second place in their respective groups at the halfway mark

Cocks (FIN) vs Sporting CP (POR)
Sunday 20 October, 17:00 CEST, live on ehfTV.com

  • Sporting’s late comeback draw at home versus Irun keeps them in contention to qualify for the elimination round

  • Cocks hope to emulate their last home performance – a two-goal victory over Presov, their only points so far this season

  • The only previous meeting between the sides was the semi-final of the 2017/18 qualification tournament, which Sporting won 31:27

  • A 31:21 win over Belenenses on Wednesday extended Sporting’s domestic league record to a perfect nine victories from nine matches

GROUP D
IFK Kristianstad (SWE) vs Chekhovskie medvedi (RUS) 
Saturday 19 October, 18:00 CEST, live on ehftv.com

  • Kristianstad secured their first point in the competition by way of their 24:24 draw at home against Kadetten Schaffhausen in round 4

  • Chekhovskie medvedi are second from the bottom with two points and lost 30:20 at home to C.S. Dinamo Bucuresti in their latest VELUX EHF Champions League match

  • Kristianstad suffered their third defeat this season in the Swedish league, as they lost 23:18 at home to IFK Skövde on Tuesday

  • Chekovskie medvedi won 30:28 at home against Krasnodar in the Russian league on Wednesday

GOG (DEN) vs Kadetten Schaffhausen (SUI) 
Sunday 20 October, 15.10 CEST, live on ehftv.com

  • GOG are second in the group with six points, while Schaffhausen are fourth with four points

  • GOG took second position on the table after defeating Orlen Wisla Plock 28:27 in a thriller at home in the previous round, while Schaffhausen had to make do with a 24:24 draw away against IFK Kristianstad despite leading clearly along the way

  • Schaffhausen had the better dress rehearsal, defeating EHF Cup participants Pfadi Winterthur Handball 32:29 in the Swiss league on Tuesday – the same evening GOG lost 30:24 at home to Sønderjyske in the top Danish flight

Orlen Wisla Plock (POL) vs C.S. Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU)
Sunday 20 October, 16:00 CEST, live on ehftv.com

  • Wisla Plock are third in the group with four points, while Dinamo are on top, being undefeated with seven points

  • Plock are seeking revenge for the narrow 28:27 away loss to GOG last weekend, while Dinamo won as clearly as 30:20 way against Chekhovskie medvedi

  • Plock won 26:23 away against MKS Kalisz in the Polish league on Wednesday. The same afternoon, Dinamo suffered their first defeat of the season – 27:26 away to Steaua Bucuresti

TEXT: Chris O'Reilly / Peter Bruun / cg
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