Teams to play catch-up in rescheduled games

A busy international handball schedule this weekend includes two matches from the EHF European League Men group phase that were postponed in earlier rounds.

In group A, Metalurg are targeting their first win when they visit Chekhov on Saturday in a game between the bottom-ranked sides.

In group B, fourth-ranked Sporting will be eager to strengthen their position in the battle for Last 16 tickets on Sunday when they host Presov, one of the three teams in the competition still on zero points.

GROUP A

Chekhovskie Medvedi (RUS) vs HC Metalurg (MKD)
Saturday 6 February, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• this game rescheduled from round 6 is their ninth duel, with Chekhov winning five and Metalurg three times so far
• one of Metalurg’s three wins against Chekhov came in an away game in Russia, in 2017 (29:26)
• Chekhov lost their only home match so far, against Plock in November
• Chekhov and Metalurg are ranked fifth and sixth, but both have several games in hand compared to the teams above them in group A
• Chekhov have resumed the domestic league in Russia in 2021 with two wins, against Volgograd (34:16) and Taganrog (25:22)

GROUP B

Sporting CP (POR) vs Tatran Presov (SVK)
Sunday 7 February, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Sporting won three of the previous four matches against Presov, though their only defeat came in a home game, in November 2018
• Sporting are ranked fourth but lost their only previous home game so far this season, 30:26 against USAM Nimes Gard
• bottom-ranked Presov are one of three teams in the competition that are yet to earn a point, alongside Besiktas in group C and Tatabanya in D
• Presov’s squad boasts nine different nationalities
• the match pits two Cuban players against each other: Sporting left back Pedro Valdez meets Presov left wing Pavel Caballero