Strangers clash at the start of the EHF European League Women

SCM Ramnicu Valcea (ROU) vs HC DAC Dunajská Streda (SVK)
Saturday 5 October, 16:00 CEST

• the aspiring hosts are back in EHF's club competitions after a one-year absence
• Valcea are undefeated on home court since February, when they lost to CSM Bucuresti in the Romanian Cup, boasting an impressive home record
• the Romanian club lifted the Cup Winners' Cup as well as the Champions Trophy back in 2006/07
  it is the first-ever meeting between the sides
• this is the Slovakian club's debut in the EHF European League, as Dunajská Streda featured only in the EHF European Cup back in 2021/22 and 2022/23, respectively

KPR Gminy Kobierzyce (POL) vs Armada Praxis Yalikavaspor (TUR)
Saturday 5 October, 17:00 CEST

• the Polish club's debut in the EHF's second-tier club competition and only their second-ever appearance in the club competitions after first featuring in the EHF European Cup back in 2022/23
• Kobierzyce suffered only a couple of losses on home court in all competitions over this calendar year and are the reigning Polish runners-up
• it is the first-ever meeting between the clubs
• the Turkish club featured in the EHF European Cup last season, where they were eliminated by Sport Lisboa e Benfica in the quarter-finals; while they have played a couple of times in the EHF European League, they never progressed past the qualification round 2
• Yalikavaspor are unbeaten at the start of the season and have secured three consecutive wins in the Turkish League, being at the top of the standings and the reigning Turkish champions

Fredrikstad Ballklubb (NOR) vs GC Amicitia Zürich (SUI)

Saturday 5 October, 17:00 CEST
GC Amicitia Zürich (SUI) vs Fredrikstad Ballklubb (NOR)
Sunday 6 October, 15:00 CEST

• this is the Norwegian club's debut in the EHF European League, as Fredrikstad have only featured in the EHF Cup in the past
• the hosts are on an unwanted losing run in the Norwegian League at the start of the season, with five consecutive defeats leaving them at the bottom of the standings
• it is the first-ever meeting between the sides and the winner of the tie will secure a direct place in the EHF European League's group phase
• a double-header with both legs being played in Norway
• the Swiss club is back in the club competitions after a long 18-year absence; they last featured in the Cup Winners' Cup back in 2005/06
• Amicitia Zürich are the reigning Swiss runners-up and they have an extremely young squad with only one player over the age of 30

HSG Blomberg-Lippe (GER) vs SU ZRK Crvena Zvezda (SRB)
Saturday 5 October, 18:00 CEST

• the ambitious hosts are back in the EHF European League after a three-year absence, but they have never reached the group stage of the competition
• Blomberg-Lippe didn't start the season well, as the German club has already noted a couple of defeats and secured only one win in the Bundesliga
• it is the first-ever meeting between the clubs
• Crvena Zvezda are the reigning Serbian champions
• the Serbian club's debut in the EHF European League, as they have only featured in the Challenge Cup in the past

Ankara Yenimahalle BSK (TUR) vs DHK Banik Most (CZE)
Saturday 5 October, 18:00 CEST
DHK Banik Most (CZE) vs Ankara Yenimahalle BSK (TUR)
Sunday 6 October, 16:00 CEST

• the Turkish club featured in the EHF European Cup last season, where they were eliminated by their country rivals — Armada Praxis Yalikavaspor — in the Last 16
• Yenimahalle are the reigning Turkish runners-up and they have never played in the EHF European League
• it is the first-ever meeting between the sides
• a double-header with both of the legs being played in Czechia
• Banik Most featured in the EHF's second-tier club competition last season, where they were eliminated in qualification round 3 and have never reached the group phase of the competition
• the Czech club boasts a far more experienced squad, as Yenimahalle's oldest player is 27 years old

Cabooter Fortes Venlo (NED) vs Vác (HUN)
Saturday 5 October, 19:00 CEST

• the Dutch club's debut in the EHF's second-tier club competition
• Venlo featured in the past three editions of the EHF European Cup and they were eliminated by MSK IUVENTA Michalovce in the quarter-finals last season
• it is the first-ever meeting between the clubs
• Vác played in each of the past four seasons in EHF European League's group stage, but have never reached the quarter-finals
• the Hungarian club boasts a squad full of Hungarian players and they have started the season in poor fashion by noting a couple of defeats in the opening three rounds of the Hungarian League

JDA Bourgogne Dijon Handball (FRA) vs Hypo Niederösterreich (AUT)
Saturday 5 October, 20:00 CEST

• the French club made its debut appearance in the EHF European League in 2023/24, but were eliminated in qualification round 2
• the motivated hosts are unbeaten at the start of the season and have recorded a couple of wins in the French League
• it is the first-ever meeting between the sides
• Hypo boast a rich history of playing and winning in the EHF's club competitions, as the Austrian club is a four-time EHF Champions League winner as well as a one-time Cup Winners' Cup and Champions Trophy winner
• the visitors are on an incredible winning streak as their last defeat in all competitions dates back to October last year, when they were eliminated by Önnereds HK in EHF European League's qualification round 2 via a penalty shootout

Sport Lisboa e Benfica (POR) vs Super Amara Bera Bera (ESP)
Sunday 6 October, 16:00 CEST

• the Portuguese club played in the EHF European Cup last season, where they were narrowly eliminated by MSK IUVENTA Michalovce in the semi-finals
• Benfica are the reigning Portuguese champions and are undefeated at the start of the season in the Portuguese League, being at the top of the standings
• the clubs met in the Iberian Supercup's semi-finals last season, with Bera Bera coming off victorious (33:28) on the way to the final, as well as lifting the trophy
• the Spanish club narrowly missed out on a place in the EHF European League's group phase last season after they were eliminated by a single goal in qualification round 3 by Sola HK
• Bera Bera are the reigning Spanish champions and they have featured in each of the past four editions of the EHF European League, but have never reached the group stage as they have been eliminated in qualification round 3 each time

H 65 Höörs HK (SWE) vs HC Gjorche Petrov-WHC Skopje (MKD)
Sunday 6 October, 16:00 CEST

• the Swedish club featured in each of the past four editions of the EHF European League without reaching the group phase of the competition
• H 65 Höörs were eliminated by the EHF European League's winners — Storhamar Handball Elite — in qualification round 3
• it is the first-ever meeting between the clubs
• Gjorche-Petrov are the reigning Macedonian champions and they have lifted the Macedonian league's title in each of the previous three seasons
• the Macedonian club featured in the EHF European Cup over the past couple of seasons and they were eliminated by the winners — ATTICGO Bm Elche— in the quarter-finals last season
• HC Gjorche Petrov-WHC Skopje are the successor club of HC Kometal Gjorce Petrov, who lifted the EHF Champions League trophy back in 2001/02

Photos © SCM Ramnicu Valcea (main), Michał Ciechanowicz/KPR Gminy Kobierzyce & Nykøbing Falster Håndbold (in-text)