Nail-biting second legs await in European Cup round 2

EHF / Filip Mishov

18 October 2023, 11:00

Olympiacos SFP are hosting Raimond Sassari in a bid to confirm the place in the next round after comfortably winning the first leg (31:24) and taking a seven-goal lead back to Ilioupolis. The club from Greece's capital is aiming to match last season's success of reaching round 3 in the EHF's third-tier club competition, while the visitors are going to try and mount a comeback to reach round 3 for the first time in their history.

Also, four double-headers are on the agenda as CS Minaur Baia Mare, RK Vogosca, SSV Brixen and FTC-Green Collect enjoy the advantage of playing both legs at home, as they welcome Odesa, K.H. Trepça-M, Azeryol HC and Parnassos Strovolou, respectively.

HC Linz AG are travelling to Thessaloniki after securing a one-goal win (27:26) against A.C. PAOK in Austria
HC Fivers WAT Margareten, ZHRK TENAX Dobele, Kur, HC Dragunas Klaipeda, HC Vise BM, Afturelding and Sakarya BSB SK all lost the first legs away from home against HCB Karviná, RK Leotar, MRK Sesvete, Sezoens Achilles Bocholt, Beykoz BLD SK, Nærbø IL and Runar Sandefjord, respectively. Now, they will try and mount comebacks at home
Förthof UHK Krems were left surprised by GRK Tikvesh's quality as well as the atmosphere in Kavadarci during the first leg (33:29) and the Austrian club is looking to overturn the four-goal deficit in the return match
Sidea Group Junior Fassano and SKKP Handball Brno played an extremely exciting match in the first leg (29:28) which was decided in the last seconds and the Czech club will host the Italian side in what's expected to be another interesting match in the Czech Republic
BSV Bern, MRK Krka, Tatran Presov, HV KRAS/Volendam, HC Motor and Besiktas Safi Cimento are looking to confirm their places in the next round and celebrate on home court in front of their own fans after taking home victorious from their trips at Riihimäen Cocks, Viljandi HC, HK FCC Mesto Lovosice, HC Dinamo Pančevo, Handball Kaerjeng and KH Besa Famgas, respectively
the matches involving the Israeli clubs have been postponed and new playing dates will be announced in due course

The young and talented Black and Whites return to Belgrade with hope of reaching round 3

RK Partizan secured a draw (34:34) with a last-gasp shot by Uroš Kojadinović, who scored 13 goals against FH Hafnarfjodur in the first leg in Iceland, thus the Black and Whites returned home with a positive result. The Belgrade-based club is fancying their chances of reaching the next round with the support from their own fans at home and to eliminate the Icelandic club. However, the Icelanders won't travel to Serbia with a white flag and another super-exciting match awaits in Serbia's capital which will surely be played in amazing atmosphere.

Photos © RiccardoSportsPhotoShoot, Wolfgang Pichler