SUMMARY: Scandinavian trio and Hungary secure first main round berths
Day 3 of the Women's EHF EURO 2022 saw the teams in Ljubljana and Celje return to the courts for their second matches. Norway and, despite a defeat, Hungary in group A as well as Sweden and Denmark in group B booked their place in the main round.
22:59
Here is the confirmation of the fact that four teams – apart from group leaders Norway and Sweden, also Hungary and Denmark – have booked their spots in the main round. The top three of all groups advance in the tournament.
Hungary do so despite the fact they lost the important game against Croatia tonight, as they cannot be overtaken by both Croatia and Switzerland in the last round of matches on Tuesday. A similar scenario applies to Denmark, which lost their opening game Friday, but cannot be passed by both Slovenia and Serbia.
22:41
Super Sunday for Scandinavia: three double-digit wins on the same night.
22:27
Two big Scandinavian wins, for Norway and Denmark, to close the action in groups A and B on Sunday. Both teams will join Sweden in the main round – as do Hungary, despite their defeat against Croatia. Here are the reviews from our EHF journalists Danijela Vekić and Courtney Gahan:
22:05 RESULT | SERBIA vs DENMARK 21:34 (11:18)
What a response from Denmark! Convincing recovery from their opening-round loss as they dominate against Serbia from start to finish. Denmark all but through to the main round, but should be a formality now.
21:59
The other game is still on, but there is no doubt about the outcome anymore: Denmark will clearly beat Serbia.
21:55 RESULT | SWITZERLAND vs NORWAY 21:38 (9:19)
Norway stay a few goals short of their record 41:18 win over Slovenia in 2004, but give Switzerland a clear lesson. The main round ticket is in the pocket, but that has never been really the question for the defending champions. Stine Oftedal with six goals the leading scorer.
21:35
Team timeout for Norway, who are leading Switzerland 27:15 with still more than 15 minutes to go. You can only guess what winning margin is coming out of this contest..?
Denmark also in control against Serbia: 21:14. Looks like a top night for the Scandinavian teams!
21:29
In case you haven't noticed yet, check out our official EHF EURO Twitter account for some great visuals and stats from our social media team here: Luu Cornet and Joseph Banholzer. For instance this one on Denmark's Trine Østergaard:
21:13 HALF-TIME | SERBIA vs DENMARK 11:18
Fait to say Denmark have found another gear after the opening phase and have built a very healthy seven-goal lead. Here are the half-time thoughts from EHF journalist Courtney Gahan in Celje:
"Before the match, Denmark goalkeeper Sandra Toft said “it’s going to be some kind of war” as her team and Serbia fought for their first points. And she was absolutely right. The tension has been high in this encounter.
Denmark had a stronger start — helped by a great opening from Toft herself, who sat on a save rate of 45 per cent up through the first quarter of the game. Toft’s job was certainly made easier by the great defence in front of her — and that is what has made the main difference so far. The Scandinavian side’s defence has been airtight, forcing mainly long-range and wing shots, while Denmark have found more gaps in the middle of the court at their attacking end. With a clear lead at half-time, it seems Denmark are slipping out of Serbia’s grasp."
21:07 HALF-TIME | SWITZERLAND vs NORWAY 9:19
Switzerland held Hungary in check for a long time in their match Friday but they cannot do it again tonight against Norway – who are obviously of a totally different class. Let's here from EHF journalist Danijela Vekić in Ljubljana:
"What to say about this game that we did not know upfront in some way? Norway are cruising to an easy win over Switzerland as head coach Thorir Hergeirsson introduced us to some of his young players. Debutants at the EHF EURO took over the court after Norway gained a significant lead with the help of the star players.
Young and inexperienced Switzerland can only enjoy playing against the defending champions and gaining very important experience. And both sides saw some great saves as Lea Schüpbach and Silje Solberg are showing what they are worth."
20:59
Switzerland might be getting outplayed by Norway here (17:7 at the moment), but one of the best goals so far has been Swiss made:
20:45
Denmark taking a two-goal lead against Serbia, 5:3 after 10 minutes. Two-time scorer Kathrine Heindahl so far the only player with more than one goal.
20:39
One-way traffic so far in Ljubljana: Norway already 8:3 up against Switzerland within nine minutes...
Have Switzerland been too friendly for the Norwegians so far? ;-)
20:22
So, Sweden are already through to the main round. Will fellow Scandinavian side Norway follow them this evening? Playing against Switzerland in Ljubljana, anything else but a Norwegian victory would be a major upset.
Over in Celje, Denmark want to bounce back from their defeat against Slovenia when they meet Serbia.
19:32 RESULT | SLOVENIA VS SWEDEN 22:33 (13:14)
Wow, what a second half by Sweden: 19:9 for an 11-goal win. They have silenced the Slovenian crowd for now... That also makes Sweden the first team to be through to the main round!
19:30
And Croatia's Tea Pijevic is named Player of the Match. Wonder why? Watch this, for example:
19:28 RESULT | CROATIA VS HUNGARY 21:18 (10:7)
Well done to Croatia! They confirm what we saw against Norway, when they played well but just ran into stronger opponents. That was not the case today, as Hungary have to swallow a bitter defeat.
19:17
Just not much going Slovenia's way tonight... Currently 28:19 down and nine minutes left.
19:09
The difference is also five between Croatia and Hungary (16:15) – exactly the margin Croatia built in those opening 10 minutes when Hungary failed to score at all. Since then, it is pretty much in the balance, but Hungary obviously need more than that.
19:05
Sweden 21:16 up against Sweden, with Jamina Roberts (six) and Nathalie Hagman (five) combining for more than half of the Scandinavians' lead.
Can Slovenia find a way back into this match in the final 20 minutes?
18:52
Second halves started in Ljubljana and Celje. Here a nice first-half high flight, ah... highlight from Sweden:
18:41 HALF-TIME | SLOVENIA VS SWEDEN 13:14
Sweden opened a four-goal gap at one point, but Slovenia found some of their strength again from the first match to reduce the difference to just one. Here is EHF journalist Courtney Gahan from the arena in Celje:
"It was slow start for Slovenia’s attack, as they took over six minutes to net their first goal, courtesy of centre back Nina Zulic. But the tournament co-hosts at least did not allow their opponents to score too many in that time, and notably limited Sweden’s fast break and counter attack opportunities.
Since then the half has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, with Slovenia fighting back to level then Sweden pulling away more than once. But as we go to the break with the score almost equal, it seems Slovenia have found a way to the consistency they have been chasing in other major championships, with the comebacks and solid performance so far against difficult opponents confirming that."
18:38 HALF-TIME | CROATIA VS HUNGARY 10:7
Hungary were not really present in the first 10 minutes and dropped five behind. They managed to close the gap to three, but so far: it is clearly advantage Croatia. Let's hear from EHF journalist Danijela Vekić here in Ljubljana:
"While the battle in the stands between Hungarian and Croatian fans is tight as they are loudly supporting their teams, we can not say the same about the match itself. Croatia were off to a good start with more Tea Pijevic's magic between the posts and gained a 5:0 lead. Hungary scored their first goal in the 12th minute of the game, and it says more than enough about the first half. Croatia could have an even wider gap at half-time but their technical errors in the attack were in the way of making it happen.
It will be interesting to see if Vlagyimir Golovin can find a recipe for a comeback, especially for the Hungarian attack whose efficiency was below 25% for 25 minutes."
18:27
Team timeout Sweden. They were 9:5 up, but backed by all their home crowd support, Slovenia have come back to 10:10. Just a good game this, like you expect from two teams that won their openers last Friday.
18:21
Walking down memory lane, back to 2020, with Tea Pijevic.
18:13
Well, worrying times for Hungary! First team timeout called by Vlagyimir Golovin but Croatia go up 5:0 before Petra Vamas finally scores - after 11 minutes and 33 seconds... 5:1 to Croatia but still early on, of course.
18:08
Hungary having a slow start again, just like in their first game against Switzerland. Croatia 3:0 up after eight minutes!
Meanwhile over in group B, Slovenia finally find the net - after Sweden have done so three times: 3:1.
14:42
Talking about goalkeepers... When Norway are playing Switzerland today in Ljubljana, it will be Katrine Lunde's 54th EHF EURO game, matching the all-time record set by France standout Siraba Dembélé Pavlovic.
Lunde could become the outright record holder in Norway's final group match, against Hungary on Tuesday. Lunde first played at the EHF EURO exactly 20 years ago and the legendary goalkeeper has since only missed the 2014 and 2016 editions.
14:09
If you watched the games of Spain and Romania yesterday, you might wonder how both goalkeepers are doing since they had to leave the court injured. Well, we have sad and we have good news for you.
Unfortunately, the Spanish federation has just announced that the tournament is over for Silvia Navarro. The standout goalkeeper suffered a torn ACL and and damage to her meniscus in the left knee during the match against Montenegro.
We wish Silvia all the best for a speedy recovery!
Luckily, we have a positive update from the Romanian team. Yuliya Dumanska was having a great game against Netherlands with five saves from 13 shots (38.46%) when she crashed into the goalpost and hurt her hip and back. She had to leave the court after treatment and did not return for the remainder of the match.
But there is good news for you, as our EHF journalist Adrian Costeiu reports from Skopje.
“I will continue fighting for Romania, I am good, thank God,” Dumanska said Sunday morning, as Romania gear up their preparation for the all-important match against France on Monday.
Dumanska's injury left Romania with Daciana Hosu and Diana Ciuca between the posts, two rather inexperienced goalkeepers at age 24 and 22, respectively. However, they did a great job stepping in, as Romania lost the game against Netherlands by just a single goal in the end: 29:28.
12:49
Who is in charge? Find out which referees have been nominated for day 4 of the Women's EHF EURO 2022. You can always check this schedule to find out the latest nominations.
12:21
The EHF and its photo agency partner, kolektiffimages, showcase the best ‘women in sport’ images every day of the Women's EHF EURO 2022. Here is today's picture:
Passion, love, strength and support! When women work together, they can achieve amazing things, such as winning a match against a team they haven't won against for 10 years. Montenegro is known as a country with a successful history in women's handball, which was also visible at the opening match of the Women's EHF EURO ❤️ on Saturday evening in Podgorica when they were supported by thousands of fans.
12:02
The EHF EURO podcasts from the (Un)informed Handball Hour keep providing us with great insights into the championship. The latest episode this morning features Elizabeth Omoregie, two days after Slovenia's impressing win over Denmark.
You can listen below or download the episode with Omoregie here.
Just spoke to one of the podcast hosts, Chris O'Reilly, and this is what he told me:
"Elizabeth Omoregie spoke the morning after Slovenia’s impressive opening day win over Denmark, laying out the methods behind their success, rooted in their intense and clever defending.
The 25-year-old also shares details of her unique journey to the heart of the team. Born in Greece to a Nigerian father and Bulgarian mother, her discovery of handball came through another sport and her tale is an inspiring one.
On top of that, we look back at the opening two days of the championship, speaking about what we liked and did not like, plus a look ahead to the second round of matches."
11:46
We already featured a goalkeeping great this morning – Denmark' Sandra Toft – and here is another one: Croatia's Ivana Kapitanovic is back at the EHF EURO after missing her team's run to bronze in 2020. Croatia lost their opener against Norway but will improve against Hungary later today, 'Kapi' tells EHF journalist Danijela Vekić in this feature:
11:30
It is half past 11, that means: it is time for our Stat of the Day, provided by data analyst and journalist Julian Rux! Here you go:
10:46
This live blog is just one of many ways for you to follow the EHF EURO. Another not-to-be-missed opportunity is our dedicated EHF EURO Newsletter, written by Courtney Gahan.
Based in Celje for this EHF EURO, Courtney shares her personal experience every other day with her readers.
"I am very excited to be bringing you all the details that combine with the fiery on-court action to deliver the thrill-ride that is the Women's EHF EURO," Courtney says.
Get this exclusive newsletter in your inbox every two days by subscribing here.
10:23
Denmark did not have the start to the EHF EURO they wished for, going down to home crowd favourites Slovenia on Friday. So it is already an important game for them when they meet Serbia tonight in Celje at 20:30 CET.
It is also a special game for goalkeeper Sandra Toft, who is set to become the most-capped Danish international at EHF EURO events with 37 appearances. She spoke with EHF journalist Courtney Gahan for this feature:
10:13
So, action returns to Slovenia today after we survived Saturday Night Fever in Skopje and Podgorica last night, where Montenegro stole the headlines with an impressive win over Spain but fellow co-hosts North Macedonia lost to France, while Netherlands and Germany wrapped up the evening with hard-fought wins over Romania and Poland.
Indeed, breathtaking..:
10:00
Good morning and welcome to day 3 of the Women's EHF EURO 2022!
It is beautiful Sunday morning here in Ljubljana as Slovenia's capital and Celje are looking forward to the second round of matches in groups A and B.
Here is our schedule for today:
