Vipers and CSM in a race for second place

Vipers and CSM in a race for second place

Györ had top spot in Group 2 wrapped up with three rounds to go, but the battle is still on for the second place.

Vipers need just a point to clinch second place and a home second leg in the quarter-finals against Buducnost, but a loss against Györ would mean that they will have to rely on other results.

If Györ extend their unbeaten streak to 21 games, then Vipers would need either CSM or FTC to not win their last round game.

The Romanian side have the easiest mission against a team that failed to win in the last six games, but can only clinch the second place if they win, Vipers lose and FTC win against Krim.

CSM Bucuresti (ROU) vs Thüringer HC (GER)
Friday 8 March, 18:00 hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com

• CSM’s injury woes still linger, with Cristina Neagu, Amanda Kurtovic and Majda Mehmedovic still missing. Playmaker Andrea Lekic and defensive specialist Sabine Jacobsen are still doubts
• the Romanian side lost two of their five games at home this season, against Vipers Kristiansand and Györ
• Thüringen lost all five games in the main round of the competition, only two games fewer than their worst losing streak in the competition, which took place between January and March 2016
• the German side lost four of their five away games, by an average margin of 4.5 goals per game

Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) vs Györi Audi ETO KC (HUN)
Saturday 9 March, 18:15 hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com

• The Hungarian side is on a 20-game unbeaten streak, only two games shy of their record, that was set between May 2013 and November 2014
• Vipers can clinch second place if they do not lose on Saturday against Györ, irrespective of the other two results in the group
• Györ won nine of their 11 games this season, drawing the other two, both 32:32, against FTC
• February’s reverse fixture in Györ saw the home side win 33:29

FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) vs RK Krim Mercator (SLO)
Sunday 10 March, 14:30 hrs local time, live on ehfTV.com

• Unbeaten in all five games in the main round, FTC can still finish third in the group, if they can better CSM’s result this weekend
• Already out of contention for a quarter-final berth, Krim snapped a six-game winless streak to beat CSM 23:22 last week
• The two sides met eight times in the European competitions, with Krim taking five wins to FTC’s three, but the Hungarian side won 25:23 in February
• FTC have reached the quarter-finals for the fourth consecutive time, while Krim failed to progress from the main round since the 2013