17.11.2019, 09:30
Granollers women qualify for Last 16

ROUND REVIEW – In the unusual absence of the men´s team from Granollers, the women from the city have success in the Challenge Cup.

Granollers women qualify for Last 16

In previous years, the men´s team from the Spanish city Granollers have been quite successful in the EHF Cup. They are not in Europe this season, however, but instead, the women´s team are defending the colours of the city.

Having won the first leg 34:29 at home against BNTU-BelAZ Minsk Reg, KH-7 BM. Granollers were in a great position before the return match in Belarus. The Spanish visitors were leading through most their away game, and although they never got a clear lead, it was still enough to get the job done, considering the five-goal lead they had with them from the home game.

At the end, Granollers won the second leg 33:32 and can celebrate their Last 16 ticket in their maiden season in Europe.

Graz and Rishon Lezion winning double-headers

Two players scoring 11 goals each helped another European debutant, HIB Handball Graz to a narrow aggregate win in a the double-header at home against Greek A. C. Veria 2017, whose maiden season in Europe only lasted one round.

In the first match, which Graz won 27:23, Hungarian right back Anna Albek scored 11 times, before it was Croatian left back Ana Marija Babic´s turn to score the same number of goals the following day. Line player Elisavet Mastaka scored 10 goals for Veria who won the second leg 27:26, which was obviously not enough for the visitors.

Maccabi Rishon Lezion had no trouble playing both their matches in Round 3 against ZRK Krivaja on away ground The home team from Bosnia and Herzegovina won the first match 25:21, but their hopes were soon put to an end in the second leg, where the Israeli visitors were leading no less than 18:8 at halftime before confirming their Last 16 berth with a 31:22 win.

10 goals from centre back Nitsan Dunay as well as from Brazilian right back Gabriela Pessoa helped Rishon Lezion considerably in the return match.

Kaunas and Südtirol finished the job

ACME-Zalgiris Kaunas were already close to the next round after winning 26:19 away against ORK Rudar in the first leg, and the Lithuanian team left no doubt when receiving the European debutants from Montenegro. The second game saw a comfortable 24:18 victory for Kaunas.

SSV Brixen Südtirol did not have much to worry about either after winning the first leg of the Italian derby against Ariosto Pallamano Ferrara as big as 31:18. Südtirol also won their away game, and they could easily live with the digits being a bit more moderate, 26:22 this time.

DHC Sokol Poruba seemed to be close to the next round before going to Turkey for the second leg against Ankara Yenimahalle BSK. The Czech team were leading 34:25 after the first leg, but in the return match, the Turkish home team actually caught up, when they were leading 25:16 with two and a half minute left.

In the last minutes, however, the Czech visitors managed to ride the storm and limit the defeat to 26:18, which sent them on with a one-goal lead on average.

TEXT: Peter Bruun / tj