11 teams in fight for six remaining quarter-final spots

With two rounds to go in the Women’s EHF Cup group phase, Thüringer HC and Herning-Ikast Handbold are already through to the next stage, while DHK Banik Most, Magura Cisnadie and MKS Lublin S.A. have lost the chance to progress.

11 other teams are still in fight for the six remaining quarter-final spots, and the picture should become clearer after the round 5 matches over the weekend. 

GROUP A
DVSC Schaeffler (HUN) vs Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK (TUR)
Saturday 1 February, 15:00 CET, live on ehftv.com

• both teams are level on four points, so their direct duel may prove crucial

• DVSC won the reverse fixture 31:30, and they are certain to secure a quarter-final berth in case of another victory

• if Kastamonu win by two or more goals, or they win by one and score 32 or more goals, they will go through

• Kastamonu’s Asli Iskit is the competition’s third top scorer, with 46 goals    

Thüringer HC (GER) vs DHK Banik Most (CZE)
Sunday 2 February, 14:00 CET, live on ehftv.com

• THC are the only team in the competition to keep a perfect record after four group matches

• the German side are already through to the quarter-finals, and a draw will secure first place in the group

• Most have zero points, the joint least effective defence in the competition (135 goals conceded), and no chance to progress

• in the reverse fixture, THC won 35:27 in Czech Republic

GROUP B
Magura Cisnadie (ROU) vs HC Podravka Vegeta (CRO)
Sunday 2 February, 10:30 CET, live on ehfTV.com

• Cisnadie are still winless after 10 games in the Women’s EHF Cup group phase 

• the Romanian club will not advance to the quarter-finals

• the two sides met in the first round of the group phase, when Podravka triumphed 38:26

• Zlatko Saravevic’s squad still have the chance to finish on the top of group B, if they gain more points than Siófok or finish with a better goal difference

Kobenhavn Handball (DEN) vs Siófok KC Hungary (HUN)
Sunday 2 February, 14:00 CET

• the two sides met in the first round of the group phase, when Siófok won confidently, 36:23

• with a victory, title holders Siófok will secure their spot in the knockout round

• the Hungarian team have not lost in any competition since November 16. They have claimed two draws and eight wins – including one against Györ, when they broke the Champions League champions’ two-year undefeated series

• Kobenhavn’s centre back Mia Rej Bidstrup is among the top scorers of the competition, with 36 goals

GROUP C
Odense Håndbold (DEN) vs ÉRD (HUN)
Saturday 1 February, 15:00 CET

• the top two teams in the group meet in Odense, and the Danish side will clinch first place with a win

• if ÉRD win and Bistrita lose, ÉRD and Odense will secure quarter-final berths, as Odense hold the tiebreaker over the Romanian side

• despite losing last week against Bistrita, the Danish side still have the most effective defence in the competition, conceding only 89 goals, or an average of 22.25 goals per game

• left back Marketa Jerabkova and right wing Alexandra do Nascimento have combined for 71 goals for ÉRD in the EHF Cup this season

• the Danish side won their midweek domestic league game against Herning-Ikast, 30:26, while ÉRD lost against Vaci, 29:26, in the Hungarian Cup

CS Gloria 2018 Bistrita-Nasaud (ROU) vs MKS Lublin S.A. (POL)
Sunday 2 February, 17:00 CET, live on ehfTV.com

• Bistrita can stay alive in the competition with a win, regardless of the result in the other game in the group

• Lublin are already out and will finish last in the group if they lose in Romania

• the Romanian side are undefeated on the home court, winning against Odense, 25:23, and drawing against ÉRD, 25:25

• Lublin (87 scored goals) and Bistrita (91 scored goals) have the least effective attacks in the competition. Only one other side has failed to hit the 100 mark this season (Magura Cisnadie, 99 scored goals)

GROUP D
Handball Club Lada (RUS) vs SG BBM Bietigheim (GER)
Saturday 1 February, 14:00 CET, live on ehftv.com

• Lada are last-placed in the group with two points – one less than Bietigheim in third position

• both teams are in desperate need of a win in order to keep their quarter-final dream alive

• Bietigheim won the first match between the two teams 31:29 at home

• Lada booked a 31:24 away victory against Izhevsk in the Russian league on Wednesday, while Bietigheim won 37:29 at home against TUSSIES Metzingen in the Bundesliga

Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR) vs Herning-Ikast Handbold (DEN)
Sunday 2 February, 17:00 CET, live on ehftv.com

• Herning-Ikast have already qualified for the quarter-final and need just one more point to also win the group

• being second with four points, Storhamar can move very close to the quarter-final in case of a win

• besides aiming to increase their quarter-final chances, Storhamar are also chasing revenge for the 34:27 defeat in Ikast in the opening match of the group

• Storhamar defeated Oppsal 40:28 on home ground in the Norwegian league on Wednesday, the same evening that Herning-Ikast suffered their first loss in 13 Danish league matches – 30:26 at home against EHF Cup colleagues Odense