Four teams join the race for round 3

The new-look EHF European Cup Women, which opened with three matches last Saturday, will continue with five more qualification round 2 games this weekend.

Two second-leg matches as well as one double header are on the schedule, while Ukraine’s HC Real and Italy’s Ali-Best Espresso Mestrino will need just one encounter to determine the winner of their tie.

The third round draw will take place on Tuesday 20 October at 11:00 CET in Vienna.

• last week, Swiss sides SPONO Eagles and DHB Rotweiss Thun also agreed to play only one game, and Eagles progressed to round 3 after a 30:17 win
• in the Kosovo derby, KHF Istogu hold a five-goal advantage ahead of the second-leg home encounter with KHF Vushtrria
• in the regional Balkan derby, Serbia’s ZRK Naisa Nis are strong favourites after their 15-goal first-leg victory against North Macedonia’s WHC Cair-Skopje
• two more ties will be held as double headers: Rocasa Gran Canaria vs Westfriesland SEW and Alavarium Love Tiles vs KH-7 BM. Granollers

Granollers to host Iberian derby

While last weekend’s outings featured only teams from Switzerland and the Balkans, representatives of some other countries and regions will now enter the competition.

The Iberian derby will take place in the Spanish city of Granollers, where the local side KH-7 BM. Granollers face Portugal’s Alavarium Love Tiles on Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s HC Real and Ali-Best Espresso Mestrino will play their only encounter on a neutral court in Koper, Slovenia.

One double header will not go ahead: Rocasa Gran Canaria vs Westfriesland SEW. The EHF will determine the next steps regarding this tie in due course.