The race to the EHF Finals Women continues this weekend

QUARTER-FINALS, FIRST LEG

Thüringer HC (GER) vs SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU)
Saturday 22 March, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• the German club's home form is impressive this season as Thüringer HC were on an 11-match unbeaten streak on home court in all competitions, which started back in November last year and was only ended recently by the EHF Champions League participants HB Ludwigsburg
• Thüringer HC are undefeated on home court in the EHF European League this season across four matches between qualification round 3 and the group phase
• Herbert Müller's squad already faced a Romanian club this season — H.C. Dunarea Braila, while SCM Ramnicu Valcea were drawn in the same group alongside BV Borussia Dortmund
• SCM Ramnicu Valcea last played in the quarter-finals back in 2022/23, while Thüringer HC made it to the quarter-finals last season
• Thüringer HC and SCM Ramnicu Valcea last faced each other in the 2022/23 edition of the EHF European League; the German club took a win at home, while the match in Romania ended in a draw
• despite SCM Ramnicu Valcea's varying form in the Romanian league, Rasmus Poulsen's squad cruised to the top spot in the extremely difficult group B of the EHF European League this season

Ikast Håndbold (DEN) vs H.C. Dunarea Braila (ROU)
Sunday 23 March, 14:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• the Danish club's home form is almost faultless this calendar year as Ikast Håndbold recorded nine wins from 10 matches played in all competitions
• Ikast Håndbold are former EHF European League winners from 2022/23
• Søren Hansen's squad was drawn in this season's group stage alongside another Romanian club, SCM Ramnicu Valcea
• it is the first-ever meeting between the clubs
• H.C. Dunarea Braila featured in the EHF Finals Women 2024 and finished as the fourth-ranked club in the competition
• the Romanian club is in decent form as the Jan Leslie Lund-led squad is on a seven-match unbeaten streak in all competitions

JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball (FRA) vs HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames (GER)
Sunday 23 March, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• the Dijon-based club's overall form is not the most encouraging one, as the French club has been bouncing between defeats and wins in all competitions since mid-February
• JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball are debutants in the EHF European League this season and finished in second place ahead of the reigning Polish champions, KGHM MKS Zaglebie Lubin, in group C
• the clubs have never played each other in the past
• HSG Bensheim/Auerbach Flames are the only club with a perfect record in the EHF European League this season with six wins from just as many matches
• the German club's away form is varying as Heike Ahlgrimm's squad recorded three wins and suffered four defeats over their past seven matches on the road in all competitions

Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP) vs HSG Blomberg-Lippe (GER)
Sunday 23 March, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• the ambitious hosts are on a three-match winning streak on home court in Spain's top-tier
• despite being debutants in the EHF European League's group stage, Super Amara Bera Bera surprised their more experienced opponents and finished in second place in group D to write a new chapter in the club's history
• it is the first-ever meeting between the sides
• HSG Blomberg-Lippe are on a three-match winning streak on the road in all competitions
• just like Super Amara Bera Bera, HSG Blomberg-Lippe are also debutants in the EHF second-tier club competition's group phase this season
• a duel between two fairly young squads, as Super Amara Bera Bera have only a couple of players over the age of 30, while HSG Blomberg-Lippe have three players over the age of 30

Photos © Christian Heilwagen (main), HAMISTOLEN.DK & Timon Peters (in-text)