Derby in Chekhov

Chehovskie Medvedi vs HSV is the derby of Group E, a clash of two favourites for winning first two spots in the group. Both teams won their first round matches and now have two points each. The winner will take first spot in the group. This match will also give self-confidence for the winner.

In Russian championship, Chehovskie Medvedi won all six from six matches played. At the last match they defeated Dynamo Viktor 46:18 (19:9). The most impressive player was Alexander Chernoivanov with 9 goals from 9 attempts. Also both goalkeepers showed great efficiency in stopping the opponents’ shots. Oleg Grams had 59% while Aleksey Kostygov 55% save percentage.

Hamburg are not as convincing in Germany. After seven rounds played they are on fourth with five wins, one draw and one defeat. In the last round they played an away match against Wilhelmshavener HV. The home team caused them a lot of trouble, but Hamburg managed to win at the end by 25:22 (13:11). The best players were Yoon and Hens with six goals each.

Hot atmosphere

This will be a tough task for Martin Schwalb and his team. After entering CL competition for the first time in club's history, this will be their first real CL test. They will face their most dangerous opponent in the group on an away ground and in front of Russian fans. But the Germans know about “hot” away matches. They have experience from playing tough away matches in the domestic league against teams such as Flensburg and Kiel. This experience could be very helpful for the Germans.

Chehovskie Medvedi vs HSV will be played on Friday at 19:00 in Chekhov. Referees will be Miroslaw Baum and Marek Goralczyk from Poland. Eurosport and RTR Sport Channel will broadcast the game live.