Györ look for first taste of victory

In group A, Esbjerg host CSM Bucuresti in a battle of the winning teams from the first round, while Rostov and Vipers are aiming to add more points on Saturday.

In group B, Györ will try to claim their first win in their current campaign at home against Podravka, while debutants CSKA will be tested at Buducnost.

GROUP A
Rostov-Don (RUS) vs RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Saturday 19 September, 16:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• Rostov have won the first two games in a DELO EHF Champions League season only once, in their maiden appearance in the top European competition
• the Russian side are on a three-game winning streak, starting last season
• Krim have only three wins from their last 16 games played in the premium European competition
• Rostov won all four mutual games against Krim, by an average of 7.75 goals per game
• the hosts won the domestic league game against Dinamo-Sinara on Wednesday, 33:21

Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs CSM Bucuresti (ROU)

Sunday 20 September, 14:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• this is the only game in the group that features two teams who won their first games of the season
• Esbjerg will focus on stopping CSM’s left back Cristina Neagu, who is the top scorer of the competition after the first round, with 12 goals
• the Danish side are still navigating an injury crisis, having only 11 players available in last week’s win against Bietigheim, 33:26
• CSM lost young centre back Denisa Valcan to a knee injury, while line player Dragana Cvijic is still out with an injury
• Esbjerg won their Danish league game against Horsens on Wednesday, 34:25, while CSM had time to rest, as the Romanian league will not start until October

Metz Handball (FRA) vs SG BBM Bietigheim (GER)
Sunday 20 September, 14:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• both sides lost their first game of the season, therefore making this meeting crucial for their future in the competition
• Bietigheim have the lowest winning percentage of all 40 teams in the history of the competition that have played at least 10 EHF Champions League games, 24.06 per cent
• German left back Xenia Smits will face her former club, after leaving this summer for Bietigheim. The 26-year-old back scored twice for Bietigheim in their loss against Odense
• The French side won their domestic league game on Wednesday, 35:26, against Nantes, while Bietigheim enjoyed a 38:30 win against Blomberg-Lippe in the German Bundesliga
• Metz won both mutual games between the two sides – 27:21 and 30:26 in the 2017/18 season

GROUP B
Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN) vs HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO)
Saturday 19 September, 16:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• for the first time in nine seasons, Györ failed to start the competition with a win, instead splitting the points with CSKA
• Anita Görbicz’s goal three seconds from full-time allowed the Hungarian side to extend their unbeaten Champions League streak to 38 matches
• after a slow start, Podravka made an impressive comeback at home against Buducnost, ultimately winning 29:26
• in the European club competitions, Györ boast a perfect record against Podravka, having won all eight encounters
• in the Hungarian league, Györ maintain a 100 per cent record after comfortably beating Szombathely on Wednesday, 43:22

SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU) vs Odense Handbold (DEN)
Saturday 19 September, 16:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• it will be the first encounter between the two clubs in European cup competitions
• Valcea sit bottom of the group after last week’s defeat at Brest, 28:21
• Nycke Groot’s eight goals propelled Odense to an opening win against Dortmund, 32:27
• Groot was again prolific on Tuesday, scoring nine times in the Danish league game against Nykobing, won 28:26 by Odense
• Valcea’s left wing Ann-Grete Norgaard played for four Danish teams in the past, but never for Odense

Buducnost (MNE) vs CSKA (RUS)
Saturday 19 September, 18:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• in their first ever European cup match, CSKA impressed at home, earning a spectacular draw against reigning champions Gyor
• Elena Mikhaylichenko did particularly well, scoring seven goals in her debut DELO EHF Champions League match, two days before her 19th birthday
• without 11 players who were either recovering from Covid-19 or injured, Buducnost opened their campaign with a defeat at Podravka
• some of the missing players, but not all, are expected to return to the court on Saturday
• CSKA continued their winning run in the Russian league, clearly beating Stavropolye on Wednesday, 37:26

BV Borussia 09 Dortmund (GER) vs Brest Bretagne Handball (FRA)
Sunday 20 September, 16:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• Dortmund and Brest have never played each other in European club competitions
• the German side will now play their first ever home match in the continental top flight
• Dortmund will try to grab their first points after losing at Odense (32:27) last week
• Ana Gros and Sladjana Pop-Lazic combined for 15 of Brest’s 28 goals in the opening match against Valcea (28:21)
• on Wednesday, Brest claimed their second win in as many games in the French league, beating Chambray 37:24

Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) vs FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN)
postponed, read more here