While seven matches are first-leg games, five double-headers are also in the schedule, so five participants of the Last 16 will already be confirmed on Sunday.
- five teams – Atletico Guardes (ESP), ZORK Jagodina (SRB), HC Galychanka Lviv (UKR), Izmir BSB SK (TUR) and Hazena Kynzvart (CZE) – have been seeded directly into round 3
- Galychanka are the only semi-finalists from last season who are among the contenders now. On Saturday and Sunday, they face Antalya Konyaalti BSK in Türkiye in a double-header
- two quarter-finalists from last season also play double-headers: H71 (FAR) host DHC Slavia Praha (CZE) twice, while IBV Vestmannaeyjar (ISL) travel to Portugal to face Madeira Andebol SAD
- four more double-headers are scheduled for next weekend, 10/11 December
- although still 10 countries have more than one team each in the race, no national derbies have been drawn for round 3
Four Portuguese sides in the race
Portugal is the country with the biggest number of teams in round 3 – four, and they all play this weekend.
Three of them are set to participate in double-headers; only Madeira will host their rivals Vestmannaeyjar. Alavarium Love Tiles are travelling to Poland to meet Eurobud JKS Jaroslaw on Friday and Saturday; on Friday and Sunday, ADA do Sao Pedro do Sul will face Izmir BSB SK in Türkiye.
Sport Lisboa e Benfica will play their first-leg match at ZRK Borac (BIH) on Sunday, with the return leg in Lisbon scheduled for 11 December.