The final round of Group 1 in Cologne promises to be chaotic, as three teams vie for a single spot in the semi-finals of the 16th European Handball Championship, while Iceland and Austria face off in a direct match that will determine who advances to the Olympic qualification.

One question is already answered—France triumphed over Austria 33:28, securing first place and setting up a semi-final clash against the defending champion, Sweden.

Aleš Pajovič’s squad put on another impressive display, even taking the lead at halftime, but ultimately, the deeper bench and skill of Guillaume Gilles’ players made a difference.

Dika Mem and Ludovik Fabregas each netted seven goals for the French team, whereas Mikola Bilik and Lukas Hutecek led Austria with six goals each.

In the battle between goalkeepers, Samir Belasen excelled with 15 saves, while Ralf Heuzle and Konstantin Mestl combined for eight saves.

In the last match of the day, Germany defeated Hungary 35:28, making significant progress toward the semi-finals, where they will face the world champions, Denmark.

Julian Kester stood out with eight goals, while Mikloš Rošta and Gabor Ančin contributed six each for Hungary.

The host team has amassed five points—one more than their upcoming opponent and Austria. In the final round, a draw against Croatia may suffice for them, especially if their rivals do not win: Austria must beat Iceland, and Hungary needs to lose against France.

Iceland secured a crucial win, overturning a deficit against Croatia (35:30) in the second half, keeping their Olympic hopes alive.

For Iceland to qualify, they must defeat Austria by at least five goals in the last round, provided a three-way tie with Hungary occurs at four points.

If they do not secure such a decisive victory on Wednesday, they will need Hungary to lose against France…

Bjarki Mar Ellison led the Icelandic team with eight goals, while Marin Jelinić scored six for the losing side.

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