ROUND PREVIEW: Danish sides Esjberg and Viborg hope to continue their good form as the Women's EHF Cup continues
Esbjerg and Viborg hope to impress again
In Round 2 of the Women's EHF Cup Group Phase, the focus will be on Denmark, where three matches are to be played. Meanwhile Danish side Team Esbjerg will compete in a Nordic clash in Stavanger.
In total, eight matches are scheduled for the upcoming weekend, and six of them will be streamed live on ehfTV.com.
GROUP A
Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR) vs Team Esbjerg (DEN)
Sunday 13 January, 15:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com
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Storhamar started the group phase with a defeat at Bietigheim
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Betina Riegelhuth, who scored eight goals in that game, will now face Esbjerg, where she played in 2015/16
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Esbjerg claimed their biggest ever victory in European club competitions, 41:18 against Magura Cisnadie
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On Wednesday, Esbjerg had another great game, beating fellow EHF Cup team Viborg 32:22 in the Danish league
Sports Club Magura Cisnadie (ROU) vs SG BBM Bietigheim (GER)
Sunday 13 January, 17:30 local time
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Magura Cisnadie will try to recover from a devastating loss at Esbjerg
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The Romanian team is currently third-placed in their domestic league
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Bietigheim are second in the German league, behind Thuringer
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On Wednesday, Bietigheim won a German Cup quarter-final against Buxtehuder (24:22)
GROUP B
TusSies Metzingen (GER) vs Siófok KC Hungary (HUN)
Saturday 12 January, 20:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com
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Both teams started the group phase with victories
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For Metzingen, it was the seventh straight win in the EHF Cup since qualification round 1
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Similar to Bietigheim, Metzingen won a German Cup quarter-final on Wednesday, beating Neckarsulm 25:19
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Siófok's Andrea Kobetic is the top scorer of the Women's EHF Cup Group Phase with 11 goals
Herning-Ikast Handbold (DEN) vs IK Sävehof (SWE)
Sunday 13 January, 16:30 local time
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Both Scandinavian sides suffered defeats in the opening round
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For Sävehof, it was the seventh straight loss in European club competitions this season
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Six previous defeats took place in the Women's EHF Champions League, including two against another Danish team, Kobenhavn
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Herning-Ikast lost a Danish league game against top-placed Odense 23:31 on Wednesday
GROUP C
Viborg HK (DEN) vs E.S Besancon Feminin (FRA)
Saturday 12 January, 16:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com
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Viborg grabbed two points at Larvik
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It was their seventh win in as many games of the EHF Cup, starting from qualification round 1
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In contrast, Viborg are only eighth-placed in Danish league
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Besancon won a French league derby against Dijon on Wednesday (31:30)
Kuban (RUS) vs Larvik HK (NOR)
Sunday 13 January, 16:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com
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Kuban enjoyed a good start in the group phase, winning at Besancon
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Diana Golub was the Russian team's best scorer with eight goals
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Kuban have an all-Russian squad; Larvik have an almost entirely Norwegian roster except for two Swedes
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Larvik lost to Fana (20:19) in a Norwegian league game on Wednesday
GROUP D
Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP) vs SCM Craiova (ROU)
Saturday 12 January, 18:00 local time, live on ehfTV.com
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Bera Bera lost at Podravka in Round 1
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Title holders Craiova won at home against Nykobing
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The Romanian side conceded only 12 goals in that game
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Craiova have won all three EHF Cup games this season, including in qualification round 3, but never scored more than 19 goals
Nykøbing Falster Håndbold - NFH (DEN) vs HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO)
Sunday 13 January, 18:00 local time
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Nykøbing had a poor start to the competition, losing at Craiova
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12 goals was by far NFH’s lowest scoring record in European club competitions
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In contrast, Podravka scored 32 goals, the second-best result in Round 1 behind Esbjerg
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Podravka's win against Bera Bera ended their three-game losing run from the Women's EHF Champions League
TEXT:
Sergey Nikolaev/jh