NEWS REPORT: The defending champions CSM Bucuresti sit at the bottom of Group 2 before the main round resumes in the last weekend of January
Vardar and Györ rule the rankings ahead of winter break
Following the completion of the Women’s EHF Champions League Group Matches last weekend first four teams already said farewell to the European top flight and will continue in the new Women’s EHF Cup (Glassverket, HC Leipzig, Rostov-Don, IK Sävehof).
Meanwhile almost a ten-week long break await the dozen surviving teams before the main round action in Group 1 and 2 commences as the Women’s EHF EURO in Sweden (4-18 December) will take place.
All main round teams have taken results and points from all their group matches games apart from those against the eliminated teams as Group A's top three teams merged with Group B's trio in Group 1 and six best teams from Groups C and D create Group 2.
Last season’s bronze team HC Vardar and runners-up Györi Audi ETO KC sit atop their respective groups with Vardar at seven and Györ at six points, while the defending champions CSM Bucuresti will start their main round campaign at the bottom of Group 2 with only the two points they salvaged in the last round against FC Midtjylland.
Reigning Russian champions Astrakhanochka are the only team with zero points on the starting grid and face a difficult but not impossible mission to reach the quarter-finals.
The first round of the main round stage is scheduled for 27-29 January and by the conclusion of the last round on 10-12 March all eight quarter-finalists will be confirmed.
Larvik’s right wing Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren will be entering the main round as the top scorer of the competition with 47 goals followed by Astrakhanochka’s left back Karin Sabirova on 42.
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EHF / br