The Women’s EHF Cup and Challenge Cup finals will throw off this weekend in Hungary and Poland, with the four clubs competing for the titles the first to take the court on the ultimate stage as Europe’s international club season draws to a close.

In the Women’s EHF Cup, the second-tier competition below the Champions League, Danish club Team Esbjerg and Hungarian side Siófok KC Hungary will meet for the two-leg final this Sunday May 5 and then again on Saturday May 11. The first leg will be played on Esbjerg’s court and will be live streamed on ehfTV.com.

It is Esbjerg’s second EHF Cup final after they finished as runners-up in the 2013/14 season, while Siófok are playing their first ever international trophy match. There is no clear favourite as both sides have shown excellent form throughout the season, winning their respective preliminary round groups before progressing undefeated through the knock-round up till the semi-finals.

Esbjerg kept their perfect record, defeating fellow Danish side Herning-Ikast Handbold 53:36 (23:20, 30:16) in the semi-final after winning the quarter-final against Russian club Kuban. Esbjerg took a commanding victory over Kuban, scoring 37 goals in both legs of the final – 37:24 and 37:31 for an aggregate of 74:55.

Siófok also won both legs of their quarter-final but the final result was less decisive: 31:24 away in the first leg then 32:31 at home, for an aggregate score of 63:55. Their record of only wins in the group phase and quarter-finals came to an end in the semi-finals, though they managed the aggregate victory to clinch the final berth. A home win in the first leg in Hungary, 28:24, was followed by their opponents, Viborg HK, collecting a 27:25 victory. Siófok thereby took an aggregate result of 53:51 in their favour.

Rocasa Gran Canaria aim for second title

In the Challenge Cup, Spanish team Rocasa Gran Canaria are on the hunt for their second title following their first trophy in the 2015/16 season. They also reached the final in 2017/18 but were defeated by Polish club MKS Perla Lublin. This year, they hope to avoid the same fate at the hands of another Polish side, SPR Pogon Szczecin. Szczecin have also lost the Challenge Cup title before, being defeated on their only other participation in the final in 2014/15.  

While Szczecin have progressed all the way from the competition’s earlier qualification rounds, Rocasa entered the Challenge Cup in the Last 16. The two finalists won both legs of their Last 16 clashes but had some trouble in the quarter-finals. Szczecin won the first leg against Bodon Handboll IF 28:22 before drawing in the second 27:27. It was enough for an aggregate 55:49 win, however.

Rocasa also took a victory in the first leg, 24:18, then were defeated by Belarusian side HC Gomel in the second 21:26. It was therefore the narrowest of aggregate wins, 45:44. They recovered to claim two straight victories in the semi-final, earning a clear aggregate result of 53:37 versus Swedish team Kristianstad Handboll. Szczecin defeated Dutch club H.V. Quintus 57:43 on aggregate in their semi-final.

The first-leg Challenge Cup final will be played on Sunday 5 May in Poland, before the return fixture on Sunday 12 May. The matches will be streamed live on ehfTV.com.

More information on both the Women’s EHF Cup and the Challenge Cup can be found on the official European cup website.