In addition, 10 second-leg encounters will be held, so the line-up for round 3 will be completed by Sunday.
- eight teams have already secured progression to the next stage following double-headers played last weekend
- titleholders Konyaalti BSK from Türkiye have one foot in round 3 following a clear 39:19 win at RK Hadzici in Bosnia Herzegovina. The second-leg match will be played in Antalya on Saturday
- another Turkish side, Görele BSK, face a more difficult task following a narrow 28:27 home win against their Croatian opponents ŽRK Dugo Selo '55. On Saturday, the teams will meet in Drugo Selo
- in the only national derby in round 2, two Greek teams will face off; Anagennisi Artas and O.F.N.Ionias. The matches will be played on Saturday and Sunday in N.Ionia - Athen
Gran Canaria hope to go far
Spain’s Rocasa Gran Canaria are one of the most experienced teams in the current tournament, as they won it in 2022, and also triumphed in its predecessor, the EHF Challenge Cup Women, in 2016 and 2019.
So, they tend to win the third-tier European club competition every three years, which suggests that the next title should be claimed in 2025. However, Gran Canaria hope to succeed in the current season, too.
Their last campaign at the EHF European Cup Women was frustrating, as the Spanish team were eliminated by Norway’s Sola HK in round 3. Now they open the European season with a double-header against Israel’s Holon Yuvalim HC, to be played on Saturday and Sunday on their home court in Telde, and will be favoured to win.
