Advantage for Viborg in Danish battle

Viborg HK, Women's EHF Champions League winners in 2006, 2009 and 2010, have a great chance to proceed to the quarter-final of the current Cup Winners' Cup.

A 30:24 home win Saturday in the first leg of their all-Danish clash against last season's EHF Cup winners Team Tvis Holstebro gives Viborg a considerable advantage ahead of the second leg in Holstebro Sunday.

After an equal start, where Holstebro even had the momentum, Viborg managed to create a 15:12 at half time and to double it during the last 30 minutes.

“A huge effort in the defence and a great fight from the entire team. It was great that we came back after a slightly bad start, “ Viborg coach Christian Dalmose said.

His adversary on the opposite bench, Niels Agesen saw the match this way: “The only thing I am discontent with is that we lose by six. The last five minutes cost is all for us, as we were in the game all the way until then and played our best match in 2014."

Another former Champions League winner who took a major step towards the quarter-final of the Cup Winners' Cup this weekend was Hypo Niederösterreich.

In December, coach Morten Soubak became world champions with the Brazilian national team, and Friday evening in Odense in his native country he took an important step towards the quarter-final berth with Hypo Niederösterreich who defeated HC Odense 27:23 in front of 1,420 spectators in Odense Idrætshal.  

This away win obviously gives Hypo great chances for the aggregate win ahead of the second leg in the Maria Enzersdorf hall in Vienna Friday evening.

While Viborg and Hypo may be heading for the quarter-finals, Fleury Loiret Handball are already there.

On home court the French women made it all clear against Veszprem Barabas Dunatakarek KC in the only double header this weekend.

Fleury made things more or less clear already Friday night, as they won the first leg 33:22, and as they won 21:17 Sunday, their 54:39 aggregate win was a fact.

Hungary has a good chance of double representation in the quarter-finals, as Érd Handball Club won 32:23 at home against Buxtehuder SV from Germany, while FTC-Rail Cago Hungaria sent Tertnes Bergen home to Norway with a 40:30 defeat.

Byasen Trondheim did better than their Norwegian colleagues from Tertnes, as they put a spot on HC Lokomotiva Zagreb's 65-year anniversary by winning 24:22 in the Croatian capital.

Finally, Metz Handball, who reached the final of the EHF Cup last year, may have difficulties achieving the same in the Cup Winners' Cup this year after losing 26:19 away to Zvezda Zvenigorod, while the other Russian-Croatian tie Rostov-Don vs HC Podravka Vegeta appear more open after Rostov-Don's 24:19 home win.