Denmark has secured its spot in the semi-finals of the European Handball Championship, while Norway faces the frustrating prospect of finishing out of medal contention for the eighth consecutive tournament.
The Danes are the first team to finalize their spot in the finals of this championship.
“Now we can take a moment to breathe,” said Nikolaj Jacobsen, the head coach, in an interview with Danish TV 2—an expression of relief that underscored his satisfaction.
Mathias Gidsel and his teammates decisively defeated Germany in their final group match on Monday, reigniting hopes for a long-awaited gold medal this coming Sunday. While Denmark has triumphed in four consecutive World Championships, it hasn’t clinched an EC gold since 2012.
“We’re feeling good now,” Gidsel remarked. “I think we have never faced such intense pressure before. It’s nice to be prepared ahead of our match against Norway,” he added with a hint of optimism.
For Norway, the fight now is against Denmark this Wednesday (TV3 / Viaplay at 20:30), a match that could be pivotal for their tournament. A surprise victory over Denmark could—if Germany defeats France—allow Norway to finish third in the group. This would set them up to compete for fifth place on Friday, thus securing a qualification spot for next year’s World Cup.
Earlier that day, Norway played to a dramatic 35-35 draw with Portugal, a match that was laden with tension.
The Danes led at halftime, 13-12, and maintained their advantage into the second half.
Gidsel and goalkeeper Emil Nielsen were instrumental before the break. Though Simon Pytlick struggled initially, missing five of six shot attempts, he later rallied to contribute significantly.
Germany put forth a formidable challenge for nearly 40 minutes, with goalkeeper Andreas Wolff making some impressive saves. However, he was ultimately benched as David Späth took over. Despite Späth’s equally impressive initial performance, he couldn’t keep pace with Nielsen after halftime.
Nielsen racked up an impressive 14 saves, allowing Denmark to surge ahead by as much as seven goals.
Simon Pytlick found his rhythm and struck back, scoring five rapid goals that forced a change in the German lineup, ultimately finishing as Denmark’s top scorer with eight total goals.
In closing, a win for Norway over Denmark would certainly be considered a significant upset, especially given that Denmark has triumphed in 11 of their last 13 encounters. The last two matchups, however, have ended in draws, suggesting that anything can happen on the court.
