First leg leads put to the test as semi-finals beckon

Last time out, CS Minaur Baia Mare earned the biggest (37:31) advantage on home court and now they travel to Austria to defend their lead, while the same goes for Olympiacos SFP and FTC-Green Collect who will face MRK Krka and TATRAN Presov on the road, respectively. Valur are the only away team who travelled back home with a lead, but with only one goal separating the sides, CSA Steaua Bucuresti will be eager to spoil the party in Iceland.

• Bregenz Handball boast the highest-scoring squad in the EHF's third-tier club competition this season with 273 goals scored, while their opponents - CS Minaur Baia Mare occupy fourth spot (256) in the scoring charts
• Valur and Olympiacos SFP are the only two undefeated sides in the EHF European Cup Men this season
• Bregenz have suffered only one loss at home in the competition this season and have recorded three wins in the process, setting quite the challenge for CS Minaur Baia Mare to defend their six-goal lead from Romania
• TATRAN Presov are unbeaten on their home court in all competitions this season, so FTC-Green Collect will be put to a strong test in Slovakia to defend their hard-earned three-goal lead (32:29) from Hungary
• Olympiacos SFP have notched only one defeat this calendar year and are on an eight-match winning streak in all competitions this season, giving the debutants - MRK Krka - a difficult task to make up the five-goal (31:26) difference from the first leg

Unbeaten Icelanders have a chance to replicate past success

Valur are one of only two clubs to have progressed all the way from round 1 to the quarter-finals this season and now, the Reykjavik-based side is set to defend a minimal one-goal lead (36:35) from the first leg earned against CSA Steaua Bucuresti in Romania.

Additionally, the mighty Icelanders have lost only once on home court in all competitions this season and have every right to feel confident ahead of the return leg, playing in front of their own fans. Valur last played in a semi-final of a European competition back in the Men's Challenge Cup in 2016/2017, but they will have to overcome the challenge of CSA Steaua Bucuresti who aim to reach a semi-final for the first time since 2009/10 when they featured at that stage in the Cup Winners' Cup. With all that said, a pulsating return leg awaits in Iceland's capital.

Photos © OvyDrag FTC Green Collect, RK Metaloplastika Elixir Sabac