It will be an all-Spanish affair in the final of the EHF European Cup Women 2021/22 as two-time Challenge Cup winners Rocasa Gran Canaria face defending champions Costa del Sol Málaga in the two-leg duel for the trophy.
The first leg is scheduled for Sunday in Telde, with Málaga hosting the decisive return leg six days later.
FINAL, FIRST LEG
Rocasa Gran Canaria (ESP) vs Costa del Sol Málaga (ESP)
Sunday 8 May, 14:00 CEST, live on EHFTV
- the finalists are the only Spanish clubs who have won Europe’s third-tier competition in the past: Gran Canaria the Challenge Cup in 2016 and 2019; Málaga the inaugural European Cup in 2021
- Gran Canaria and Málaga are also the two most recent winners, since the 2019/20 season was not played to a finish amid the Covid-19 pandemic
- in the semi-finals, Gran Canaria defeated Ukrainian champions HC Galychanka Lviv 53:47 on aggregate; Málaga eliminated Serbian side ZRK Bekament Bukovicka Banja 61:42 on aggregate
- Gran Canaria’s Croatian right back Katarina Pavlovic is the competition’s top scorer with 65 goals; Brazilian right wing Isabelle Medeiros is Málaga’s best scorer, with 43 goals
- last Sunday, Málaga won the Spanish cup for the second time after 2020, beating Mecalia Atlético Guardés 33:26 in the final
- this is the first final of a women’s European competition between two teams from the same country since Danish sides Herning-Ikast Håndbold and TTH Holstebro contested the EHF Cup 2010/11 final
Fourth meeting this season
The match on Sunday is the fourth meeting of the two teams in various competitions during the 2021/22 season. In the Spanish league, Gran Canaria won both encounters: 37:29 in Málaga in September, and 31:28 at home in February.
However, when the teams met again in April for the quarter-final of the Spanish cup, Málaga earned a three-goal win: 26:23.
