A makeshift Norway team, featuring six rookies, stood their ground and clinched an impressive 24:18 win against North Macedonia, their fifth in a row in the Women's EHF EURO Cup 2022.
WOMEN'S EHF EURO CUP 2022
North Macedonia vs Norway 18:24 (12:14)
- Norway, who had already won the Women's EHF EURO Cup 2022 after beating Slovenia and Montenegro in the first four games, exerted their dominance over the Women's EHF EURO 2022 co-hosts with another win
- a 6:0 run between the 47th and 54th minutes, spurred by the CSM Bucuresti pair of Emilie Hegh Arntzen and Malin Aune, was the pivotal moment of the match, tilting the balance in Norway’s favour
- wings Jovana Sazdovska (six goals) and Sara Ristovska (three goals) were North Macedonia's best players in the match
- centre back Helene Gigstad Fauske, who has scored 81 goals in the EHF Champions League this season, celebrated her comeback to Norway's national team with six goals to finish as their top scorer against North Macedonia
- Norway and North Macedonia will meet again in the final round of the Women's EHF EURO Cup on Sunday in Bekkestua, Norway
New-look Norway prove importance of depth
With Norway's coach, Thorir Hergeirsson, trying to get his team in optimal shape for the Women's EHF EURO 2022, he handed six players their maiden games in the national team on Thursday evening. Meanwhile, stars like Katrine Lunde, Kari Brattset Dale, Nora Mørk, Stine Bredal Oftedal and Veronica Kristiansen were rested against North Macedonia.
It was not a walk in the park for Norway, but they proved why depth is so important in modern handball as they clinched their seventh win in a row in competitive matches.
