Landin and Nielsen, Denmark’s dream duo in goal

With Niklas Landin, Emil Nielsen, Simon Gade, Jannick Green, and Kevin Møller, their list includes five names that all could easily be the first-choice shot-stopper for any other national team. Only Landin and Nielsen have been on the team for Denmark’s first two matches in group F in Munich.

The three-time reigning world champions and arguably biggest tournament favourites defeated Czechia (23:14) and Greece (40:28), respectively, to qualify for the main round in Hamburg – even ahead of the last group match against Portugal on Monday (live on EHFTV at 20:30 CET).

“Of course, it puts a lot of pressure on us the last years,” Nielsen says about the fierce competition for the position between the posts. “You know you are forced to perform, otherwise you are not on the team. In that matter, it’s a good thing. But on the other hand, I believe if I had an other nationality, I would have had my national team breakthrough a little earlier.”

Nielsen first played for the national team in April 2018, when he was with Danish club Skjern Håndbold. But nearly six years later and starring for HBC Nantes and currently Barça, he still has only 30 caps – a relatively low amount for a world-class goalkeeper who turns 27 in a few weeks’ time.

Even more so, EHF EURO 2024 is only his first European championship. His only previous major event was the 2021 IHF World Championship, where Denmark won gold.

But Nielsen got only limited playing time at that tournament in Egypt as a backup for Landin, who appreciates the increasing competition.

“It’s really nice to see so many good young goalkeepers coming up,” Landin says. “It’s the way to push each other. I think it’s good, a little bit pressure from behind you.”

Landin’s numbers are vastly different from Nielsen’s: now 35, he made his national team debut a full decade earlier – in 2008 – and played at the EHF EURO 2012 when Denmark won the last of their two European titles so far. Landin has 266 caps; from the current squad, only right wing Hans Lindberg has played more matches.

Coming from stints with GOG and Bjerringbro-Silkeborg, Landin went abroad in 2012 to play for German clubs Rhein-Neckar Löwen (2012-15) and THW Kiel (2015-2023) before returning to Denmark last summer and joining Aalborg Håndbold.

He believes his long time in Germany combines well with Nielsen’s experiences in France and Spain.

“He knows some different types of players. So, I think the cooperation with Emil is really good,” Landin says. “It’s all really good together behind the scenes.”

Nielsen also underlines the advantage of having two goalkeepers who play in different national leagues.

“Against Portugal, perhaps I have a little bit of knowledge about some of their players because I have played against so many of them so many times. And Niklas has better knowledge of the players from Czechia, because many of them play in Germany. So, we can compliment each other pretty well, that’s cool,” Nielsen says.

Landin started in Denmark’s EHF EURO opener, but in the end, it was Nielsen who made the headlines with a stunning save percentage of 72.2 in the 35 minutes he played. After the second game, Nielsen’s save rate is still well above 50 per cent.

And with a save percentage of over 35 for Barça in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2023/24 season so far, Nielsen was already in great form arriving at the EHF EURO.

“I feel like I’ve had a good season so far and I came into this championship with a lot of confidence,” Nielsen says. “It was a great start against Czechia. Against Greece, it was a little bit more messy, we didn’t play that good in defence. But hopefully we can keep the high level.”

Still, Nielsen needed to make some transitions when coming to the national team. Barça’s playing style is not very similar to Denmark’s, which affects his role as the goalkeeper.

“Those are two completely different defences. I think the Danish national team suits me a little better, because we play a little more defensively,” Nielsen says.

“Of course, Barça have one of the best defences in the world but play different and let opponents shoot from other positions. I feel like the positions they shoot from with the national team suits me a little more, with the shots from distance and so.”

While Landin and Nielsen are competitors for the same position, during matches they are always seen speaking with each other at the sideline when Denmark are in attack.

Do they quickly exchange tactical hints or is it just giving a short “come on” as an encouragement?

“We have this 30-second break between every attack where we can talk together,” Landin says. “Mostly it is something about what we were talking before the match. Our game plan, should it stay like that? Or should we go further and make another plan for the next few attacks?”

Those brief moments during a match are when the individual job of a goalkeeper becomes teamwork, just like Landin and Nielsen like it.

“It’s hard to be a goalkeeper as we are a little in an individual position. So, perhaps we don’t have to communicate as much as the other players, but it’s working out great and we have prepared great for the matches and shared our opinions,” Nielsen says.

“We know a lot of different players because of his time in Germany, and I have been in France and in Spain. We are complementing each other. I think we are doing great.”

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