Spain and Germany aim double crown in Alanya

The semi-final line-up for under-17 European Championship is confirmed, and by the looks of it, an interesting final day awaits. Four teams in each competition are left in the race for the round trophy, with the decisive matches starting at 09:30 CEST for men and 10:30 CEST for women. 

Men’s competition

• Three medallists from 2024 YAC16, Hungary, Spain and Germany, joined by Czechia, will play for the trophy on Sunday, when the semi-final matches take place at 09:30 CEST
• Flawless Spain continued their dominance in the quarter-finals with a dominant defence, beating Croatia 2:0 in sets (18:12, 19:12). After six matches played, young Hispanos haven’t lost a single set
• After winning the first set with 19:14, Hungary went tooth and nail with the Netherlands in the second set when the Dutch team had a clear chance of securing a shootout, but Bence Habda saved the day by blocking the last shot for the 21:20 score
• Germany outclassed Sweden in what was a low-scoring match, 17:10 in the first set and 17:6 in the second, to secure their semi-final appearance. Only three players from the Swedish squad managed to score against Hungary, explaining Hungary’s defence at its best
• France and Czechia offered a thriller first set, which ended with a golden goal for France (23:22) scored by Mael Raux. Czechia took the second set with 16:14 and secured a shootout, booking their place in the top with 6:4
• In the consolation round, Norway and Poland sit on top for places 9 to 12, Bulgaria for places 13 to 15 and hosts Türkiye for places 16 to 18 

Women’s competition 

• Three out of four quarter-final matches ended in a shoot-out, with Germany, Spain, and Hungary coming out victorious, while Norway beat Czechia 2:0 in sets (18:8, 17:15)
• The longest shootout went into nine series, when France put an end to Sweden’s strong performance. Sweden started well, winning the first set 21:18, but France took the upper hand in the second set, celebrating 24:16 just to decide the winner after a long and thrilling shootout
• Germany is following in the footsteps of their senior team, as they aim for the gold medal after beating Hungary also in a shootout. The first set ended as close as it can be, with 23:22, when Hungary put in a higher speed, winning the second one 24:18,  but losing in the end with 7:4 in penalties
• Spain is eying a double crown, as the women’s team won the match against Croatia, same as their male counterparts. Croatians opened the match well, winning the first set 13:12, but losing the second by three points (10:13); Spain then stepped up their defence in a shootout and won convincingly, 6:0
• In the consolation round, Poland and Romania are ahead on the list for 9 to 12 places, Ukraine for places 13 to 15 and Switzerland for places 16 to 18 

Photos: kolektiff images