Three teams confirmed for Last 16 in first round 3 weekend

• Club Balonmán Atlético Guardes left no room for doubt in both matches in Bulgaria, hosted by HC Byala, winning with an aggregate result of 84:43 and with all 13 field players on the scoresheet – the foundation was the decisive 45:19 win on Saturday, followed by a 39:24 victory on Sunday
• 44 goals in two matches were enough for ATTICGO Bm Elche to proceed to the next round – 13 saves by goalkeeper Nicole Morales were key for the low-scoring win in the first clash with HC Gjorche Petrov-WHC AD Skopje (19:16); on Sunday, the gap was six goals (25:19), boosted again by 13 saves from Morales
• on home ground, the Italian side Handball Erice SSD were not endangered by Luxembourgish club Handball Kaerjeng, and took an aggregate result of 68:30 – Brazilian right back Gabriela Pessoa was the top scorer with nine goals in the 36:13 first leg win, while on Sunday Giulia Losio netted nine times for the 32:17 victory
• both Austrian clubs will aim for comebacks next weekend after clear home defeats: Union Korneuburg lost 40:24 against last season’s semi-finalists Hazena Kynzvart from Czechia, while MADxWAT Atzgersdorf from Vienna were defeated 35:28 by A.C. PAOK from Greece
• three encounters – H.V. Quintus versus MSK IUVENTA Michalovce, Madeira Andebol SAD against KHF Istogu and the clash between Replasa Beti-Onak and Yellow Winterthur – will be carried out in double-headers next weekend

Three thriller games ended in draws

Three of the 16 round 3 matches this weekend did not see a winner, ending in equal results. Ana Fradelic secured the 24:24 for ŽRK Split in the Balkan duel against Macedonian side WHC Metalurg Avtokomanda, netting for the equaliser at the final buzzer, after her side had been down by three goals several times in the second half.

Dutch side Westfriesland SEW let a 17:12 half-time lead get away against ZRK Mlinotest Ajdovscina from Slovenia. The visitors turned a 21:14 deficit into a 27:26 advantage, before the hosts’ line player Abigail Waal netted for the 27:27 just 14 seconds before the end.

Energa Start Elblag from Poland could not get ahead in the 60 minutes on home ground against the Italian side Jomi Salerno, but finally took a 26:26 draw. Four minutes before the end, Salerno were ahead 25:22, but the Polish side picked up the pace, while Joanna Kozlowska netted for the draw. 

Photos © Joe Pappalardo fotografo (main), Marcin Gadomski (in-text)