Tight matches ahead in last chance for Graz tickets

QUARTER-FINALS, SECOND LEG

HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames (GER) vs JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball (FRA)
Saturday 29 March, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• the Flames have recorded eight wins and suffered only a couple of defeats on home court in all competitions this calendar year
• Heike Ahlgrimm's squad held an early three-goal lead in the first leg in France, but let JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball mount a comeback to take a 31:27 victory
• Claire Vautier was the top scorer in the first leg, netting seven times on the way to Dijon’s victory
• the French club are on a five-match winning streak on the road in all competitions and the Dijon-based club's last away loss dates back to early January
• both squads are fresh and energised for the return leg as they did not play a league match in midweek

H.C. Dunarea Braila (ROU) vs Ikast Håndbold (DEN)
Saturday 29 March, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• the hosts are on a 13-match unbeaten streak on home court in all competitions and the Romanian club's last home defeat dates back to mid-September 2024
• H.C. Dunarea Braila are aiming to secure a place in the EHF Finals Women for a second consecutive season after finishing fourth in Graz last year
• the Romanian club held a four-goal lead in the opening half in the first leg in Denmark and led at half-time too, but lost the momentum in the second half
• Emma Lindqvist scored nine goals for Ikast Håndbold as they produced a second-half comeback for a 32:20 win against Braila
• the Danish club are on a four-match winning streak on the road in all competitions
• unlike Ikast, Braila had no league match this week, enabling Jan Leslie Lund and his squad to focus and prepare for the return leg in Romania

SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU) vs Thüringer HC (GER)
Sunday 30 March, 14:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• Valcea are on a four-match winning streak on home court in all competitions
• the Romanian club were trailing from start to finish in the first leg against Thüringer and ended up losing by six goals (35:29) in Germany
• if Rasmus Rygard Poulsen's squad is to mount a comeback in the return leg they will have to find a way past Thüringer’s goalkeeper Dinah Eckerle who made 14 saves (33 per cent save efficiency) in the first leg
• Thüringer have recorded only one win on the road over their past six away matches in all competitions
• the tournament’s top scorer so far, Johanna Reichert, scored 15 goals against Valcea, bringing her season tally to 83 goals

HSG Blomberg-Lippe (GER) vs Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP)
Sunday 30 March, 16:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• HSG Blomberg-Lippe’s home form is almost faultless this season as they have suffered only one defeat on home court in all competitions
• Blomberg-Lippe were the only club to record an away win in the quarter-finals’ first leg with Steffen Birkner's squad coming off victorious (28:25) from the trip to San Sebastián
• Ona Vegue and Zoe Ludwig were the first leg's key players for HSG Blomberg-Lippe with the former being the match's top scorer with eight goals, while the latter recorded a save efficiency of 46 per cent
• the Spanish club are on a three-match winning streak on the road in all competitions
• Bera Bera led for a short period in the first leg but need to display much more consistency throughout the whole match to challenge for the win in Germany

Photo © HAMISTOLEN.DK, Foxaep