Qualification round 1 of the European League Men comes to an end with 15 matches over the course of 48 hours as 13 teams will join RK Nexe, Rhein-Neckar Löwen and HC CSKA as qualifiers for round 2.

The action gets underway on Friday with a pair of first legs in the weekend’s two double-headers. Croatia’s RK Porec go in search of their first victory in Europe since 2015, playing host to Icelandic champions Valur.

Another team in real need of a European victory is HC Prolet 62, whose only win was in group play in the Challenge Cup 12 years ago, when they beat London club Olympia HC 60:21. They travel to face experienced European outfit Fraikin BM. Granollers.

Hallbäck back home

Slovenian sides gave visiting Danish clubs the runaround last week, with Trimo Trebnje beating Holstebro 31:25 and Celje beating GOG 33:29.

Both Danish clubs will have home advantage for the second leg but will have to produce much-improved performances to turn around those deficits and avoid an early exit.

The third Danish club, Bjerringbro-Silkeborg, have no such home comforts in the second leg as they head to Ystad in Sweden to try overturn a 23:22 first leg loss. If there is anyone who knows how to score a victory in Ystad, it is Bjerringbro’s summer signing Ludvig Hallbäck, who will try to get one over his former teammates.

Elsewhere on a busy weekend, the Iberian affair between BM Logroño La Rioja and Aguas Santas Milaneza will be renewed on Saturday after a first leg draw.

Hungarian duo Balatonfüredi KSE and Csurgoi KK attempt to hold on to narrow leads away from home and Kadetten Schaffhausen hope to pull off a spectacular comeback against Vojvodina.

All of this weekend’s games, the current score and info on matches streamed on EHFTV can be found below.

EHF European League Men – Qualification Round 1

Friday 3 September
19:00 CEST: RK Porec vs Valur Iceland
19:00 CEST: HC Prolet 62 vs Fraikin BM. Granollers

Saturday 4 September
14:00 CEST: Ystads IF vs Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (23:22 in first leg) - EHFTV
16:00 CEST: GOG vs RK Celje Pivovarna Laško (29:33 in first leg)
16:30 CEST: SL Benfica vs HC Krienz.Luzern (31:24 in first leg) - EHFTV
17:00 CEST: MRK Sesvete vs KS Azoty-Pulawy SA (21:29 in first leg)
17:30 CEST: Fraikin BM. Granollers vs HC Prolet 62 - EHFTV
18:00 CEST: Valur Iceland vs RK Porec
18:00 CEST: Fenix Toulouse Handball vs ALPLA HC Hard (27:23 in first leg)
19:00 CEST: BM Logroño La Rioja vs Aguas Santas Milaneza (26:26 in first leg)
19:30 CEST: Kadetten Schaffhausen vs Vojvodina (20:26 in first leg)

Sunday 5 September

16:30 CEST: HK Malmö vs Balatonfüredi KSE (25:27 in first leg)
17:00 CEST: Dobrogea Sud Constanta vs Csurgoi KK (23:27 in first leg) - EHFTV
17:00 CEST: ØIF Arendal vs Górnik Zabrze (29:19 in first leg)
18:00 CEST: TTH Holstebro  vs Trimo Trebnje (25:31 in first leg) - EHFTV