Dramatic final minute
European Championship favorite Denmark defeats arch-rivals in a tough game
January 19, 2024, 10:30 p.m
World champion Denmark will not let defending champion Sweden stop them on their way to the semi-finals of the European Handball Championship. The tournament favorite with the exceptional players Mikkel Hansen and Mathias Gidsel narrowly prevailed against their arch-rivals in a thrilling duel.
Denmark has come very close to reaching the semi-finals of the European Handball Championship. In the thrilling top game of the main round group II, the three-time world champion prevailed in Hamburg against his closest competitor and defending champion Sweden with 28:27 (17:15). They are only missing one point to securely reach the semi-finals. In front of 13,000 spectators, the top favorite achieved their fifth victory in the fifth European Championship game. The Swedes suffered their first defeat in the tournament, but still have a good chance of reaching the top four.
The game resembled a collection of players with Bundesliga present or past. Both teams showed high-class handball. Neither team was able to break away until the 20th minute. Then the Danes managed to pull away to 16:12 (27th). By the break, the Swedes reduced the score by two more goals. Even after the break, the game was a battle of equals and dramatic at the end. Things got exciting in the last minute of the game when the referee team upheld the Swedish protest after minutes of discussion and had a Danish goal taken back. However, the equalizer was no longer achieved.
Mathias Gidsel from Füchse Berlin was the Danes’ most successful thrower with ten goals. In the table, his team leads by six points, ahead of Sweden (4 points) and Portugal (4). Coach Nikolaj Jacobsen’s star ensemble can make it into the semi-finals with a draw against Norway on Sunday and continue to set their sights on their first European Championship title since 2012.
The duel between the Swedes and Portuguese is eagerly awaited on Sunday. The winner also advances to the semi-finals. The southern Europeans played against the Slovenians 33:30 (18:17) on Friday and got their second win in the main round. Martim Costa from Sporting Lisbon played a significant role in the success with eleven goals.
The Norwegians won the game between Norway and the Netherlands between the two teams with no points so far with 35:32 (16:18). As in the defeat against Denmark at the start of the main round on Wednesday, the Oranje team held its own for a long time and led by two goals at halftime. In the end, however, the strength was lacking again. The Norwegians ultimately achieved a well-deserved victory thanks to their star and former Kiel player Sander Sagosen (10 goals).