Scandinavian derby awaits in Larvik, while debutants take on former champions

Larvik are chasing their fifth win out of five in the Scandinavian neighbour derby against IK Sävehof, while RK Krim Mercator will need to score just 16 goals away against Team Esbjerg in order to reach 5500 Champions League goals, when Group D launches Saturday.

• Half of the teams in the group have won the Women's EHF Champions League before - RK Krim Mercator won twice, in 2001 and 2003, while Larvik were crowned in 2011
• Larvik have won all their four previous Champions League matches against IK Sävehof
• Team Esbjerg are debutants in the group matches
• Krim are the only team in the group who are not national champions

Team Esbjerg (DEN) vs RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Saturday 15 October, 14:00 local time, live on ehftv.com

After failing to go on from their qualification group last season, Team Esbjerg are now ready for their first go at the group matches after winning their first Danish championship in history last season.

“We realise that we will have to be there one hundred per cent.

“There will be no room for playing bad or missing plenty of big opportunities,” Esbjerg's right wing Maibritt Kviesgaard told the local newspaper Jydske Vestkysten ahead of the home match against Krim Saturday afternoon.

“It will be so important to us to get a good start with a home win Saturday,” added the former Danish international.

Krim are the only team in the group who had to go through qualifiers to reach the group matches, but the former Slovenian champions had no problems winning their qualification group, and on their visit to Denmark, they will not only be chasing two points.

They are also chasing the Champions League goal number 5,500 in history, and just 16 goals Saturday will be enough to reach that number.

Larvik (NOR) vs IK Sävehof (SWE)
Saturday 15 October, 18:30 local time, live on ehftv.com

It is the fifth time, these Scandinavian neighbours are logging horns in the Women's EHF Champions League.

The previous four matches between the two teams have all ended with wins for Larvik, and the hosts are determined to keep it that way, when Sävehof are visiting Boligmappa Arena Larvik Saturday evening.

Still, head coach Tor Odvar Moen is cautious.

“We are confident, but we do have some problems with injuries, and right now we do not know exactly which players we can send on Saturday night,” he tells ehfCL.com.

If Sävehof manage to defeat Larvik for the first time ever, it will be the Swedish record champions' 10th win in their Champions League history.