08.11.2019, 09:00
Five teams still in main round race

GROUP C/D PREVIEW: While Brest, Buducnost and Györ are through to the next stage, the pressure is on for the remaining sides with just two rounds left to play and three tickets to the main round up for grabs

Five teams still in main round race

An unbeaten Brest Bretagne Handball can secure first place in DELO WOMEN’S EHF Champions League group C if they do not lose against second-ranked Buducnost on Sunday. Both teams are through to the main round, but will surely give their everything as the points from this encounter will be carried into the next phase. 

Elsewhere in group C, SG BBM Bietigheim will be playing for their lives against SCM Ramnicu Valcea, as any result other than a win will see them out of contention after the group matches for the second consecutive season. 

Györ have already won group D, two rounds before the end of the phase and still unbeaten. IK Sävehof, DHK Banik Most and RK Krim Mercator all remain with the chance to advance from the group matches. 

After a surprising triumph over Krim in round 1, Most will attempt to repeat their feat when they host the Slovenian side in round 5 – and it is up to coach Uros Bregar’s squad to prove that the result in the first round was a once in a lifetime event. Meanwhile, Sävehof will hope their home court advantage can help as they welcome Györ. 

GROUP C
Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA) vs Buducnost (MNE)
Sunday 10 November, 15:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Brest will secure first place in the group if they do not lose on Sunday 

• The French side have outstanding attack, scoring 143 goals in four games – the second highest number of goals scored this season, only two behind Györ

• Brest have won all four games in the group, and are currently riding their best streak ever in the DELO WOMEN’S EHF Champions League

• After allowing 35 goals in the first game against Brest, Buducnost have since conceded only 62 goals – or an average of 20.6 goals per game in the next three rounds

• To secure a potential tiebreaker against Brest for top of the group, the Montenegrin side must earn a four-goal win, after losing the home game, 35:32

SG BBM Bietigheim (GER) vs SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU)
Sunday 10 November, 18:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Bietigheim will stay in the hunt for a main round berth only if they win on Sunday

• The German side have lost all four games this season, and are only two matches shy of their worst losing run in the competition – six games, two seasons ago

• Valcea coach Florentin Pera spent three days in hospital before last week’s game against Buducnost, but did not miss the match

• The Romanian champions suffered an unexpected defeat on Tuesday, 24:19, in the Romanian League, against CSM Bistrita. They still lead the competition however, one point ahead of Corona Brasov

• In the first and only game between the sides in the premium European competition, Valcea won 34:27

GROUP D
IK Sävehof (SWE) vs Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN)
Saturday 9 November, 13:30 local time, live on ehftv.com

• Although Györ are already through to the main round, they will not let their unbeaten streak come to an end easily

• Even if the Swedish club are defeated, they will have a chance to qualify to the next stage in the last round against Krim

• Györ’s Eduarda Amorim was selected in the top five of the EHF Players of the Month for October

DHK Banik Most (CZE) vs RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Sunday 10 November, 19:00 local time, live on ehftv.com

• It is the last chance in the group matches for Most to take their first victory in front of their home crowd 

• Alja Varagic from Krim is among the top scorers in the DELO WOMEN’S EHF Champions League, with 26 goals

• With a win or a draw, the Czech champions will celebrate their main round berth 

TEXT: Adrian Costeiu / Bela Müller / cg