Two former EHF Challenge Cup winners IFK Skövde HK and SKA Minsk were drawn to face each other in the EHF European Cup Men Last 16.
No winner was found in the first leg, which ended 26:26 in Sweden, so the tie is wide open ahead of the return match in Belarus.
- Skövde's goalkeeper Fabian Norsten was the hero of the day, saving 16 shots for a 38 per cent save efficiency
- in the only national derby in this round, HC Viktor defeated fellow Russian team SGAU-Saratov away from home, 30:27
- CS Minaur Baia Mare from Romania comfortably defeated A.C. PAOK at home, 32:21, leaving the Greek side with a mountain to climb in the return leg
- the tie between AHC Potaissa Turda (ROU) vs Alingsås HK (SWE) is much more open following the Romanian team's narrow 31:30 home win
- Talent tym Plzenskeho kraje (CZE) earned a 34:30 away win against Handball Esch (LUX), while fellow Czech side HCB Karvina lost to HSC Suhr Aarau at home, 27:23
- the second-leg matches will be held next weekend, on 19/20 February
Norwegian teams earn big home wins
Norway has two teams in the Last 16, and both of them took big steps towards the quarter-finals following home matches on Saturday.
At half-time, Drammen HK led by just two goals against the Russian side SKIF Krasnodar, but enjoyed a big advantage after the restart and took a 14-goal win in the end, 37:23.
In turn, Naerbo IL dominated against Romania's CSM Foscani 2007 from the opening minutes and cruised to a well-deserved 39:26 victory,
