The Round of 16 is uncharted territory for both KAC Klagenfurt, and Leksands IF. It's also a historic first time matchup between the two teams who have not yet crossed paths in the Champions Hockey League. 

For the Austrian side, who suit up for their fourth CHL season, they've come a long way since their league debut in 2015/16, where they were unable to secure a win. Since then their performance and outcomes improved, but they could never quite make it out of the Group Stages unscathed. This season however, marks their best result to date, going 5-1 and topping their Group. 

In comparison, league debutants Leksand, have done what many teams have not been able to do, which is qualify for the Round of 16 in their first year in Europe's top flight hockey! With a 4-2 record under their belt, it wasn't an easy run, however multiple wins against their Slovak and Czech opponents was enough to secure the all important qualification. 

So how do the two sides match up? Both teams have put up relatively similar numbers. Over six games Leksand have managed to net 17 goals and Klagenfurt 19. It's the goals against that tell a different tale. With just nine goals against, compared to Leksand's 16, Klagenfurt's strong defensive game will be a key asset for the hosts. 

What about special teams? With an 83.33% penalty kill rate, compared to Leksand's 76.92%, Klagenfurt have a slight advantage. Both sides have struggled with scoring on the man-advantage. Nonetheless, the Swedes are just ahead on powerplay conversions with 17.39*%, compared to the Austrian's 15%. 

With the backing of their fans, Klagenfurt will enjoy the home-ice advantage, although their performance on the road has been flawless to date. Similarly, Leksand have been solid performers on the road, winning two out of three games, so this matchup is sure to be an exciting one. 

Catch the action on 16 November at 19:00 CEST, when Klagenfurt host Leksand at the Stadthalle Klagenfurt.