Final 11 tickets secured for European League group phase

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 (DEN) vs IK Sävehof (SWE) 39:30 (19:16)

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.

JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball (FRA) vs Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP) 30:24 (27:24) (14:12)

JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball win 49:43 on aggregate

The reigning Spanish champions did not hold back and Imanol Alvarez Arruti's squad took an early four-goal lead (8:4) in the 14th minute, extending Bera Bera's overall advantage in the tie to seven goals. It looked like Dijon — the 2025 bronze medallists at the EHF Finals — were on their way out of the competition, but they consolidated their defence and conceded only four goals until half-time, while doubling their goal tally (14:12). The pressure was ever present in the second half and despite the French club holding a six-goal lead (24:18) at one point, Bera Bera did not give up and got back into the match, setting up a dramatic finish and taking the tie into a penalty shootout. The composed hosts were much more concentrated and calmer from the penalty line: Nadia Offendal, Nina Dury and Stine Lønborg all converted their penalties, unlike Bera Bera's players who could not put a single one away, resulting in Dijon celebrating a dramatic win in the end.

IN OTHER MATCHES

VfL Oldenburg (GER) vs HC Dalmatinka Ploce (CRO) 36:14 (14:8)
HC Dalmatinka Ploce (CRO) vs VfL Oldenburg (GER) 21:39 (11:19)
VfL Oldenburg win 75:35 on aggregate

HC Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO) vs GC Amicitia Zürich (SUI) 28:22 (14:7)
GC Amicitia Zürich (SUI) vs HC Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO) 25:26 (11:15)
HC Lokomotiva Zagreb win 54:47 on aggregate

ZRK Crvena Zvezda (SRB) vs MOL Esztergom (HUN) 24:27 (11:15)
MOL Esztergom win 56:52 on aggregate

HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames (GER) vs CS Rapid Bucuresti (ROU) 21:32 (11:17)
CS Rapid Bucuresti win 60:55 on aggregate

KGHM MKS Zaglebie Lubin (POL) vs PGE MKS El-Volt Lublin (POL) 35:30 (18:14)
KGHM MKS Zaglebie Lubin win 64:54 on aggregate

ES Besançon Féminin (FRA) vs Chambray Touraine Handball (FRA) 21:28 (10:15)
Chambray Touraine Handball win 57:46 on aggregate

Molde Elite (NOR) vs Larvik (NOR) 33:32 (14:15)
Larvik win 66:56 on aggregate

CS Minaur Baia Mare (ROU) vs HH Elite (DEN) 33:22 (19:12)
CS Minaur Baia Mare win 54:49 on aggregate

Valur (ISL) vs HSG Blomberg-Lippe (GER) 22:22 (10:14)
HSG Blomberg-Lippe win 59:46 on aggregate

Main image © Johnny Pedersen