08.01.2021, 05:00
Derby in Turkey to open road to quarter-final

ROUND PREVIEW: The battle for quarter-final berths in the EHF European Cup Women starts with one Last 16 match on Sunday afternoon

The EHF European Cup Women resumes this weekend as the Last 16 action starts in Turkey.

It will be a déjà vu for Yalikavaksports Club, as they face a national derby for the second straight round, this time taking on Muratpasa Belediyesi SK on Sunday at 13:00 CET.

The second leg of this all-Turkish duel is scheduled for next week Sunday (17 January).

• the Last 16 includes one more national derby - in Spain, where Club Balonmano Elche are set to take on Club Balonmano Atletico Guardes
• this tie will be contested over one match, to be played next week Sunday, as the Elche team are currently in quarantine following positive Covid-19 tests
• five other Last 16 ties will all be played as double-headers next week
• DHS Slavia Praha are already through to the quarter-final after their opponents, SPONO Eagle from Switzerland, had to withdraw amid restrictions due to anti-coronavirus measures
• the quarter-final is scheduled for 13 and 20 February 2021

Second straight derbies for Elche and Yalikavakspor

In the previous round, Elche eliminated fellow Spanish side KH-7. BM Granollers, winning both legs: 26:22 and 30:24.

At the same competition stage, Yalikavakspor met another Turkish side, Izmir BSB SK, and also advanced after claiming two victories: 30:26 and 31:22.

Spain has two more teams still in the competition, but they were not drawn against each other.

Rocasa Gran Canaria will travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a double-header against HZRK Grude, while Rincon Fertilidad Malaga will host two matches against ZRK Naisa Nis from Serbia next weekend.

TEXT: EHF / Sergey Nikolaev