08.10.2020, 11:00
Six teams start their EHF European Cup adventure

ROUND PREVIEW: Three matches throw off the new third-tier competition on Saturday

The EHF European Cup Women is ready for throw-off. The newly formed third-tier European club competition, replacing the former Challenge Cup, starts into its inaugural season on Saturday.

Round 2 consist of six ties in total; three of them will be contested next weekend, leaving three matches to be played on the opening day.

• DHB Rotweiss Thun and SPONO Eagles will play only one game, so this Swiss derby will already be decided after their duel on Saturday
• The two other games on Saturday will be followed by a second leg next week
• Ukraine's HC Real and Italy's Ali-Best Espresso-Mestrino will also play just one game, which is scheduled for Saturday 17 October in Koper, Slovenia
• Also next week, two ties will be carried out as double-headers: Rocasa Gran Canaria vs Westfriesland SEW and Alavarium Love Tiles vs KH-7 BM. Granollers
• Not only Switzerland, but also Kosovo will see a national derby this round, as KHF Vushtrria take on KHF Istogu
• The schedule also includes a regional derby, between Macedonian side WHC Cair-Skopje and ZRK Naisa Nis from Serbia
• The six winners advance to the round 3, which is scheduled for 14/15 and 21/22 November

Short trips for Istogu and Eagles

Istogu will have to travel just about 60 kilometers from Istog to Samadrexhe, where the first leg of their tie against Vushtrria takes place on Saturday.

Also in Switzerland, travel distances are limited for the Eagles, who need a 120-kilometer drive from Nottwil to Thun. The match pits Thun head coach Urs Mühlethaler against his former club.

Naisa Nis, who won the Challenge Cup in 2007, are determined to do well in the new competition. The Serbian team will be eager to get a favourable result against Cair in Skopje, before hosting the return leg next week Saturday.

Information on other round 2 ties

Initially round 2 consisted of nine ties, but three of them can not be carried out after various teams had to withdraw from the competition due to the Covid-19 situation.

As a result, Rincon Fertilidad Malaga (ESP), Izmir Büyüksehir Belediyesi GSK (TUR) and Muratpasa Belediyesi SK (TUR) are advancing to round 3.

Photo Milena Kaeslin: DHB Rotweiss Thun website

TEXT: EHF / Sergey Nikolaev