First quarter-finalist already to be confirmed as Last 16 opens

• the only double-header this weekend is played in Hafnarfjordur in Iceland, where Haukar host Ukrainian side HC Galychanka Lviv for two matches on Saturday and Sunday, with the aggregate winner becoming the first team to advance to the quarter-finals
• Lviv hope to prolong their unbeaten international run this season, while Haukar advanced to the Last 16 with two narrow one-goal wins over HC Dalmatinka Ploce in Croatia last November
• after three wins and a draw, Polish side MKS Urbis Gniezno on Saturday face Spanish team Caja Rural Aula Valladolid, which have a perfect record so far this European season as they won all their matches
• 2020/21 champions Malaga Costa del Sol are up for a tough challenge as they meet Valur, the runners-up from 2021/22, with the first leg scheduled for Saturday in Spain, followed by the return next week Sunday in Iceland
• Portuguese side Madeira Andebol SAD are playing against Hazena Kynzvart of Czechia in a duel between two teams that both went out in the Last 16 stage last season
• the runners-up from 2023/24, Slovakian side MSK IUVENTA Michalovce, face Greek side A.C. PAOK as they hope to continue their high-scoring performances this season, having netted 83 times in their round 3 encounters with HRK Grude

Two teams, one common experience — losing to the eventual champions 

Both the Portuguese representative still in the competition, Madeira Andebol SAD, and one of the two Greek teams in the Last 16, O.F.N. Ionias, were eliminated by eventual champions ATTICGO BM Elche last year. Ionias lost to Elche in round 3, before Madeira were eliminated the next round by the Spanish side that would go all the way and lift the trophy last May.

And there is more similarity between the two clubs: If they advance from the Last 16 this season, both would match their best European result so far: Ionias, who meet Dutch side JuRo Unirek VZV in Greece on Sunday, previously reached the Challenge Cup quarter-finals in 2000/01, Madeira played the EHF European Cup quarter-finals recently in 2022/23.

photos © Baldur/Valur (main); Madeira Andebol SAD (in-text)