Handball European Championships
Danes defeat defending champions Sweden – semi-final close
The Danes remain at the European Championships without losing any points. photo
© Claus Bergmann/dpa
In the Scandinavian duel, handball world champion Denmark is challenged by defending champion Sweden for the first time at the European Championships and narrowly wins. The Danes are only one point away from 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. Mathias Gidsel from Füchse Berlin was the Danes’ most successful thrower with ten goals.
In the table, the Danes lead 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.
Portugal and Norway also win
The duel between the Swedes and Portuguese is eagerly awaited on Sunday. The winner also advances to the semi-finals. The Southern Europeans beat the Slovenians 33:30 (18:17) 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, the Oranje team held on 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).