The 16 group phase participants, including the pre-qualified sides Thüringer HC, Nykøbing Falster Håndbold, CSM Corona Brasov and Tertnes Bergen, as well as Motherson Mosonmagyaróvári KC, who booked their place in round 2, will find out their opponents at the draw on Thursday 20 November at 11:00 CET, streamed live on the Home of Handball YouTube channel.
Romanian sides CS Rapid Bucuresti and CS Minaur Baia Mare produced huge comebacks against HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames and HH Elite respectively to take their places in the next round, while Hungary’s MOL Esztergom defended their hard-earned advantage against Katrine Lunde's ZRK Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade.
VfL Oldenburg and HC Lokomotiva Zagreb secured dominant wins in their double-headers on home ground. KGHM MKS Zaglebie Lubin, Chambray Touraine Handball, Larvik and HSG Blomberg-Lippe will join them in the group stage.
In the highlight matches, Viborg HK fended off the challenge posed by IK Sävehof in the Nordic derby and JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball kept their calm in a tense penalty shootout to eliminate Super Amara Bera Bera.
HIGHLIGHT MATCHES
QUALIFICATION ROUND 3, SECOND LEG
Viborg HK win 70:61 on aggregate
With all to play for in the return leg, IK Sävehof began the match in a strong fashion by taking a three-goal lead (6:9) in the 10th minute, but as in the first leg, Andreas Wallin's squad lost their momentum and the Danish club quickly bounced back. Laura Thestrup scored all of her six goals in the first half to inspire a comeback ahead of the break (19:16) and the hosts did not let their ever-increasing advantage slip until the final whistle. Even though Sävehof’s Stina Wiksfors scored 10 goals and was the match's top scorer, Viborg's quality was on full display. The former European League runners-up booked a ticket to the group phase for the first time since 2021/22.