In the other matches, the reigning EHF European Cup Women champions Valur recorded a dramatic win in the Netherlands, as did IK Sävehof and Armada Praxis Yalikavaspor on their home courts, while Molde Elite, GC Amicitia Zürich and ES Besancon Feminin also found themselves on the winning side.
HIGHLIGHT MATCHES
QUALIFICATION ROUND 2, FIRST LEG
The Austrian champions were flying high on confidence ahead of the match, having been undefeated in all competitions since March, but CS Rapid Bucuresti started off the game on the right foot and established control from the opening minutes. Even though Hypo Niederösterreich were toe-to-toe with the Romanian club until the 18th minute, a four-goal run inspired by Aïssatou Kouyaté set the tone and gave Laurent Bezeau's team a solid advantage at the break. Not much changed in the second half, as CS Rapid Bucuresti used the depth and quality of their squad to finish the job. Hypo's Patricia Mihalics scored six goals and was the match's top scorer, while Albertina Almeida and Aïssatou Kouyaté scored five each for the visitors.
