The EHF European Cup Men Last 16 opened with five first-leg encounters held on Saturday and Sunday.

Experienced teams CSM Bucuresti and RK Gorenje Velenje played their matches at home and earned victories, making a step closer towards the quarter-final. However, their rivals AEK Athens and RK Borac m:tel still have a chance to hit back in return-leg games next week.

• CSM, the Challenge Cup winners in 2019, beat AEK 28:23, as their goalkeeper Jakub Krupa recorded 15 saves
• Aleks Kavcic’s ten goals powered Velenje to a 32:28 win in the Balkan derby against Borac
• in the Czech-Slovak regional derby, HC Robe Zubry (CZE) defeated MSK Povazska Bystrica (SVK) 29:22
• Ystads IF progressed to the next stage without playing, as their matches with SG INSIGNIS Handball Westwien were cancelled due to the Covid-19 situation
• two more ties, Donbas vs CS Minaur Baia Mare and SC kelag Ferlach vs Sabbianco Anorthosis Famagusta, will be played as double-headers next weekend

Mixed fortunes for Russian sides

Two teams from Russia are still in contention for the trophy, and both played their first-leg matches at home – but the results were different.

While HC Neva SPb have one foot in the quarter-final following their commanding 33:21 win against Gracanica, SGAU-Saratov shared spoils with Polva Serviti, 28:28, and nothing is clear in this tie ahead of the second-leg game in Estonia.