Intense national derbies highlight qualification round 3 start

Poland's runners-up PGE MKS El-Volt Lublin and champions KGHM MKS Zaglebie Lubin meet in one of the highlight matches, while CS Rapid Bucuresti welcome HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames in the second one.

HIGHLIGHT MATCHES

QUALIFICATION ROUND 3, FIRST LEG

PGE MKS El-Volt Lublin (POL) vs KGHM MKS Zaglebie Lubin (POL)

Saturday 8 November, 16:00 CET

• a highly-anticipated derby between Poland's runners-up and champions, respectively
• the hosts are on a five-match winning streak at home, remaining undefeated in Lublin at the start of the season
• PGE MKS El-Volt Lublin were Challenge Cup champions in 2017/18 and are also former EHF Cup 2000/01 champions, while KGHM MKS Zaglebie Lubin are yet to lift a European trophy
• the Lublin-based club was eliminated in qualification round 3 last season, while their opponents, MKS Zaglebie Lubin, featured in the group phase
• the rivals already met in the Polish Super Cup this season, with Zaglebie lifting the trophy; in six matches between the two sides in 2025, Polish champions Zaglebie won five
• KGHM MKS Zaglebie Lubin are unbeaten across all competitions since April this year, when they were defeated by PGE MKS El-Volt Lublin in Poland's top tier

CS Rapid Bucuresti (ROU) vs HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames (GER)

Sunday 9 November, 16:00 CET

• the Bucharest-based club endured an underwhelming start to the season and is sitting in the bottom half of Romania's top tier
• Laurent Bezeau's squad eliminated Hypo Niederösterreich (62:43) in qualification round 2 with a couple of dominant wins, both home and away
• CS Rapid Bucuresti boast a richer history of playing in EHF's club competitions compared to their opponents, with the Romanian club being former City Cup champions in 1999/00
• it is the first-ever meeting between the two clubs
• the German side is riding high at the start of the season, sitting in second place in the Bundesliga with six wins and only one defeat
• HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames reached the quarter-finals last season in only their second-ever campaign in EHF's club competitions

IN OTHER MATCHES

MOL Esztergom (HUN) vs ZRK Crvena Zvezda (SRB)
Saturday 8 November, 14:00 CET

HH Elite (DEN) vs CS Minaur Baia Mare (ROU)
Saturday 8 November, 16:00 CET

HSG Blomberg-Lippe (GER) vs Valur (ISL)
Saturday 8 November, 17:00 CET

Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP) vs JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball (FRA)
Saturday 8 November, 18:00 CET

Chambray Touraine Handball (FRA) vs ES Besançon Féminin (FRA)
Saturday 8 November, 20:00 CET

IK Sävehof (SWE) vs Viborg HK (DEN)
Sunday 9 November, 14:30 CET

Larvik (NOR) vs Molde Elite (NOR)
Sunday 9 November, 16:30 CET

Photos © Kjell Langmyren (main), Sabin Malisevschi & Tommy Holl (in-text)