MIES (Basketball Champions League) - Sixteen games remain in the qualifying stages for the Basketball Champions League. Half of those are to be played on Friday night when the first legs of Qualification Round 3 are staged all over Europe.

There will be clashes in Finland, Russia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Belarus, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. A few days later, the second-legs of those ties will be played in Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Turkey, France, Spain, Belgium and Poland.

One of the most intriguing showdowns pits a side that has already made it through a couple of qualifying rounds, Donar Groningen, against newcomers Movistar Estudiantes.

If ever a team were battle tested, it's Groningen. They beat Lithuanians Vytautas in Qualification Round 1 and then in Qualification Round 2 overcame Bakken Bears of Denmark.

The Dutch team showed tremendous resolve against Bakken, who led by 16 points in the opening leg before settling for an 80-78 victory. In Tuesday's second leg, the Danes led 48-41 at half-time for a nine-point lead on aggregate only for Groningen to hit back for a 91-83 triumph.

Groningen captain Jason Dourisseau is looking forward to the two games.

"It's a great opportunity to play against a team from the top of Europe," he said. "We're looking forward to the challenge to compete at high level."

Coach Erik Braal added: "It's a great opportunity and a chance to improve and get better as a team."

Estu know they are going to encounter a team that has the wind in its sails.

"They come with high morale and a competition rhythm," Movistar Estudiantes coach Salva Maldonado said. "It will be two games, but for us it's like only one game of 80 minutes. The first half is in the Netherlands, the second half in Madrid.

"It's the first game of the season and its all or nothing. But the prize if we win is very important for the team."

Estu's Nik Caner-Medley is a former player at the club. The offensive-minded forward helped Monaco Basket reach last season's Basketball Champions League Final Four in Tenerife before agreeing a return to the Madrid side.

Finnish outfit Kataja Basket, who won their Qualification Round 2 tie against Divina Seguros Joventut by four points on aggregate, will now attempt to overcome the German Bundesliga's Telekom Baskets Bonn.

Avtodor Saratov have survived ties against Keravnos and Mornar Bar but now must win a Qualification Round 3 showdown against Sikeliarchivi Capo D'Orlando of Italy.

The Russian club's boss is Andrea Mazzon, an Italian who has has coached in the Lega A before. His last job there was with Umana Reyer Venezia from 2010-13.

"I am very proud of our players," Mazzon said of Avtodor. "Now we only need to find the energy and try to come fresh to the home game with Orlandina. I hope that the guys will make the last effort to complete the mission.

"I want to thank the guys, because they are getting better and they also support me."

Avtodor Saratov beat Mornar Bar in Qualification Round 2

For Sicilian outfit Capo D'Orlando, the tie represents its first foray into Europe.

Gennaro Di Carlo, the coach, said: "We face a tough team, but we'll do everything to make it difficult and try to overcome this preliminary tie to achieve an extraordinary goal."

Di Carlo says Avtodor boast the advantage of having played in two qualifying rounds already but his players will nevertheless be confident.

"They have an important roster, with so much talent from the perimeter to the physicality under the basket," he said. "We will have to move the ball well so as not to limit ourselves with the physical size, and we'll also try to limit their open looks that come from a great defense."

Lukoil Academic entered the competition in Qualification Round 2 and beat Benfica. Next up is a clash with Lithuanians Juventus Utena, a club that's trying to make it back to the Regular Season for the second time but one that looks very different to last season's team.

Just two players have remained, Dovis Bickauskis and Ugnius Nikitinas, and only the former logged meaningful minutes for a side that advanced from the Group Phase.

Bickauskis played for Juventus Utena last season, too

Among the newcomers is Arvydas Siksnius, who played for Neptunas Klaipeda side in the Basketball Champions League, and Carl Lindbom, a 25-year-old power forward who represented Finland at FIBA EuroBasket 2017.

Pinar Karsiyaka, who face Hungarians Alba Fehervar in Qualification Round 3, were a leading team in last year's Basketball Champions League, reaching the Quarter-Finals and almost making it to the Final Four before falling to Umana Reyer Venezia.

They, too, have a new look heading into the 2017-18 campaign, with their coach, Nenad Markovic, having left and taken the helm of Basketball Champions League winners Iberostar Tenerife.

Up-and-coming stars Egemen Guven and Alp Karahan have remained and will play for new coach, Aleksandar Trifunovic

Alba Fehervar, who have Hungary's EuroBasket 2017 center Akos Keller, will be dangerous. They eliminated Estonians Kalev Cramo in the Qualification Round 2.

Other intriguing Qualification Round 3 ties see Tsmoki-Minsk face Nanterre 92, MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg square off against Basic Fit Brussels and Telenet Giants Antwerp go up against Rosa Radom.

MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg, quarter-finalists last season in the Basketball Champions League, along with Minski and Antwerp have made it through the first two qualifying rounds. Rosa Radom played in the Regular Season of last year's competition.

Nanterre were last season's FIBA Europe Cup champions.