Michalovce, Atletico and Elche edge closer to semi-final

• in the Spanish derby, Elche defeated Motive.co Gijon at home, 25:20, ending the game with a 3:0 run
• another Spanish side Atletico claimed an away victory against their Portuguese rivals Madeira Andebol SAD, 30:26
• it was a debut match for Atletico's new coach Ana Seabra, a Portuguese who played for Madeira between 2002 and 2009
• Michalovce claimed the biggest win of the weekend, defeating Poland's Eurobud JKS Jaroslaw on home court, 37:25
• the second-leg encounters are scheduled for the next weekend, 18/19 February

Spanish sides helped by good goalkeeping

Both Spanish winners of the first-leg matches heavily relied on their goalkeepers this weekend. On Saturday, Atletico's Miriam Sempere recorded 11 saves for a 38 per cent save efficiency, which lifted her team to a four-goal away win.

And on Sunday, Elche's Pamela Rodrigues boasted the same 38 per cent save rate, stopping 12 balls in the national derby against Gijon. In contrast, Gijon's goalkeepers made just three saves, so this difference played a key role.