Herning-Ikast eye quarter-final berth ahead of pivotal games in all groups

After the first three rounds, Siófok are the only unbeaten team left in the EHF European League Women, and the Hungarian side eye a quarter-final berth when hosting Romanian side HC Dunarea Braila on Sunday.

In group A, Herning-Ikast can win their third game, against Vaci NKSE, which would edge them closer to the knockout phase of the competition, while another Romanian team, CS Minaur Baia Mare, need a victory against Astrakhanochka to stay in contention for a quarter-final berth.

In group B, there is still everything to play for, with two pivotal games scheduled, as leaders Nantes hold a two-point advantage over last-placed Handball Club Lada.

GROUP A
Herning-Ikast Handbold (DEN) vs Vaci NKSE (HUN)
Saturday 6 February, 13:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• last week, in the first leg of the mutual clash, the Danish side won easily in Hungary, 38:26
• Herning are currently top of the group, tied with Paris 92 on four points, while Vaci are third with two points
• Herning-Ikast suffered their first loss in the Danish league since November on Wednesday, against Team Esbjerg (28:34)
• since the first game against Herning-Ikast, Vaci won their two domestic games, against Szombathelyi (33:30) and Dunaujvarosi (34:29)

GROUP B
Handball Club Lada (RUS) vs Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK (TUR)
Sunday 7 February, 13:30 CET, live on EHFTV

• following two straight defeats away from home, Lada sit bottom of the group with two points
• Kastamonu have three points and occupy third position in the group
• two weeks ago, the Turkish side beat Lada in the reverse fixture, 29:25; it was their first victory in the current group phase
• Amanda Kurtovic, who joined Kastamonu from Györ last month, has scored 24 goals in three group matches

Nantes Atlantique Handball (FRA) vs MKS Perla Lublin (POL)
Sunday 7 February, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Nantes are group leaders with four points; Lublin are ranked second with three points
• the French team are on a two-match winning run, including a 31:26 victory in the reverse fixture in Poland
• both sides are currently third-placed in their respective domestic leagues
• on Wednesday, Nantes lost against Bourg de Peage in the French league, 31:29; on Tuesday, Lublin suffered a painful defeat against MKS Zaglebie Lubin, 28:16

GROUP C
CS Minaur Baia Mare (ROU) vs Astrakhanochka (RUS)
Saturday 6 February, 14:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• with two wins in three games, Astrakhanochka lead the group with four points, while Baia Mare are tied with Storhamar on two points and currently sit in third
• in the first match between the two sides, played two weeks ago, Astrakhanochka enjoyed a thorough win against Baia Mare, 33:27
• Baia Mare’s backs, Jovanka Kovacevic and Andreea Popa, are the team’s top scorers, combining for 25 goals in the first two games
• the Romanian team have conceded 31 goals per game in the group phase; only Vaci NKSE (33.6 goals conceded per game) and HC Zvezda (33.5 goals conceded per game) have allowed more
• the Russian side played against Rostov-Don on Monday, losing 28:18 after leading 11:9 at the break. Baia Mare won two games in the Romanian league last week to strengthen their grip on second place in the standings

Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR) vs Thüringer HC (GER)
Saturday 6 February, 14:00 CET, live on EHFTV

Thüringer HC (GER) vs Storhamar Handball Elite (NOR)
Sunday 7 February, 12:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• both games will be played in Germany, after the first match between the two sides was postponed
• Storhamar have never won an away game against a German team, losing all three matches played in European competitions – one against HC Leipzig and two against SG BBM Bietigheim
• Storhamar’s Norwegian back Guro Nestaker is the fifth-top goal scorer in the group phase of the EHF European League Women, with 17 goals in two games – seven goals less than fellow Norwegian Amanda Kurtovic, who scored 24 goals in three games
• scoring 31 goals per game in the first two matches, Storhamar are the third most efficient attack in the competition, just behind Herning-Ikast and Nantes, who scored 31.6 goals per game in their first three matches
• this will be the first-ever meeting between the two sides in European competitions, but Thüringer have lost seven of the 11 games played against Norwegian opposition

GROUP D
Siófok KC (HUN) vs H.C. Dunarea Braila (ROU)
Sunday 7 February, 14:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• after three rounds, Siófok KC lead group D with five points (two wins, one draw) while H.C. Dunarea Braila are second with three points (one win, one draw, one loss)
• the two sides met in the previous round, where the Hungarian club triumphed after a tough second half comeback
• since their last rendezvous, Siófok played two games in the domestic league, winning the first and losing the second match
• at the end of the fourth round, these two teams will have played four games each while Kuban and Fleury will have played only two bouts apiece