Elverum Håndball, RK Nexe, Kadetten Schaffhausen, HC Izvidac, IK Sävehof, SG Flensburg-Handewitt, TTH Holstebro, Bathco Bm. Torrelavega, PGE Wybrzeze Gdansk, Valur, RD LL Grosist Slovan, IRUDEK Bidasoa Irun, Limoges Handball, Bergischer HC and Dicorpebal Logroño La Rioja earnt the two points from wins in the first of the six rounds. Group E recorded the only draw of the opening round, between ACS HC Buzau 2012 and Águas Santas Milaneza.
Picks of the week
GROUP C
Top scorers: Óðinn Ríkharðsson 14/15 (Kadetten Schaffhausen); Andrei Drǎgan 11/17 (CSM Bucuresti)
A close first half turned into a commanding win for Kadetten Schaffhausen, in what was CSM Bucuresti’s debut match in the competition. Kadetten led 8:4 at the end of the first quarter, when one of the top scorers of the 2025/26 group stages, right wing Óðinn Ríkharðsson, struck for the fourth time. But CSM came back, supported by an in-form Dan Vasile, who had kept them from falling further behind with save rate of over 46 per cent in the first 15 minutes and finished the first half with nine stops at a rate of 37.5 per cent.
Four goals in a row saw CSM pull the game back level at 8:8 in the 17th minute and the score was equal as the half-time whistle sounded. However, CSM could not keep it up when the match resumed. A 9:1 partial from the 40th minute (24:20) saw Kadetten completely take charge. When Ríkharðsson scored his 13th goal off a steal and fast break the score hit 33:21 with 10 minutes to go and the two points were secured.
