The Danes “Removed the Three Crowns,” Martim Košta “Buries” Zmajček’s Goal, and Portugal Aspires for Medals
Gidsel posed a challenging puzzle for the “three crowns” selection, Photo: REUTERS
The highly anticipated derby of unbeaten teams at the European Handball Championship in Hamburg ended in favor of Denmark, which edged out Sweden in Group 2 with a score of 28:27 (17:15). This victory secured Denmark one of the top two spots!
The win came after a key decision to switch goalkeepers, as Niklas Landin faced the first nine shots without a save. It took time for Sweden’s team to identify the vulnerabilities in Emil Nilsen’s goalkeeping. Denmark capitalized on this to build a four-goal lead and maintain their victory.
Nilsen registered eight saves (34.78%), while the legendary Landin struggled with no saves from 11 shots. Danish star Mikel Hansen stepped up when it mattered the most, scoring all five of his goals in the first 20 minutes.
Matthias Gidsel stood out for Denmark, netting 10 goals with only one miss, whereas Hampus Vane scored nine out of 12 attempts for Sweden.
With this victory, Denmark secured six points, placing them in one of the top two spots, while Sweden came in with four points.
In an unexpected twist from the Pyrenees, Portugal is generating buzz in European handball following Spain’s decline.
Portugal triumphed over Slovenia with a score of 33:30 in the second match of the main stage of Group 2 at the European Handball Championship in Germany.
Portugal led by a goal at halftime and was able to maintain that advantage, even stretching it to five goals (28:23). Martim Košta was a standout performer, scoring 11 goals, further establishing his prowess after previously helping secure a victory over Norway (37:32).
Norway also notched a win against the Netherlands (35:32), earning their first two points, the same as Slovenia. The Netherlands remains scoreless, while Portugal hopes for Denmark’s success against Sweden.
Denmark’s earlier victory over Portugal means Sweden will likely aim for one of the top spots in Group 2, battling Portugal for a place in the semi-finals.
The championship winner, besides taking home the gold medal, will earn a spot in the Olympic Games in Paris.
News