Spain prevail as five more teams qualify for EHF EURO 2024

• it was the Highlight Match of the day, and even without a few key players, the Norwegians celebrated a commanding win versus Austria
• an impressive 6:0 run in the last eight and a half minutes helped Romania snatch two points in Croatia
• Rinka Duijndam's 14 saves and free-flowing attack secured Netherlands' big win against Czechia
• Chloé Valentini and Tamara Horacek combined for 17 goals, lifting France to a 19-goal win against Slovenia
• Spain struggled in the first half of the home encounter with North Macedonia, but improved after the break to win 24:20
• Montenegro extended their longest-ever winning streak at the EHF EURO Qualifiers to 15 matches, taking a hard-won victory at the Balkan derby against Serbia

EHF EURO CUP

Highlight Match: Austria vs Norway 22:39 (8:19)

Norway had won all three previous matches at the EHF EURO Cup, including 43:22 in the reverse fixture, while Austria had lost all three encounters. So the Nordic team were obvious favourites, and they lived up to expectation, putting on an impressive performance once again. Henny Reistad, Nora Mørk and Katrine Lunde were rested this time, yet Norway have a lot of quality players to replace the leaders. In particular, Marie Davidsen stood like a wall, boasting a 56 per cent save efficiency before being substituted after the break, and Ingvild Bakkerud scored eight goals. Ines Ivancok was Austria's top scorer once again, this time with six goals, but her team came up short.

GROUP 1

Croatia vs Romania 23:25 (11:11)

The Romanians knew that a win would book them a ticket at the final tournament, and they ultimately reached that goal, snatching a victory in a nerve-wracking encounter. Just like four days before in Bistrita (26:24), they won by two goals, but the game in Koprivnica was even more dramatic. Croatia had a slight advantage for much of the game, as their goalkeeper Tea Pijevic did a good job. In the 52th minute, the home side led by four goals, 23:19, and they seemed to be the right way, but Romania's late surge changed everything. In the 56th minute, the sides were already level at 23:23, and after a few unsuccessful attempts made by both teams, the last-minute goals by Gabriela Ostase and Sonia Seraficeanu made the visitors jump for joy.

Greece vs Bosnia and Herzegovina 27:23 (11:8)

After this victory, Greece stay in third position with four points, so they are still in fight for an EHF EURO spot, while Bosnia and Herzegovina are last-placed with zero points. It was the visitors who had an advantage in the opening 10 minutes, but then the Greeks turned the tide. Their goalkeeper Magdalini Kepesidou boasted a 62 per cent save efficiency in the first half, and although it dropped to 41 per cent in the end, it was enough for the hosts to seal their victory. Eleni Kerlidi scored nine goals for Greece, whose lead reached eight goals midway through the second half (22:14), before Bosnia and Herzegovina somewhat cut the deficit.

GROUP 2

Germany vs Slovakia 32:18 (17:7)

The German team maintained a perfect record, taking their third consecutive victory and edging closer to the final tournament. Now they have six points, just like Ukraine, but Germany have a game in hand. In turn, Slovakia are still ranked third, having two points after four encounters. In Düsseldorf, the home team had a big advantage, which was helped by good goalkeeping: both Katharina Filter and Sarah Wachter recorded a 41 per cent save efficiency. No player scored more than four goals for Germany in this match, but at the same time, 13 of their 14 court players netted at least once, so the home team could rely on a solid team performance and depth in the squad.

GROUP 3

Netherlands vs Czechia 42:25 (24:11)

This game was staged earlier than all the other matches on Sunday, so Netherlands became the first team to book their EHF EURO ticket on this day. Charlotte Cholevová, who became top scorer of the match with nine goals, netted the first goal of the match, but it was her team's only lead throughout 60 minutes. The hosts quickly seized the initiative, and their advantage grew rapidly, reaching double digits already 20 minutes into the game (18:8). Rinka Duijndam did a great job in goal, so the hosts boasted a 9:0 run between minutes 14 and 26, and the outcome was all but clear at the break. As many as 12 Dutch players scored at least once in this game, with Angela Malestein having the biggest impact with seven goals.

Portugal vs Finland 38:22 (21:11)

Portugal needed a win to keep their hopes of reaching the EHF EURO 2024 alive, and they were dominant during the entire match against Finland, ultimately adding two points to their tally. The home team enjoyed a good start, opening a 6:2 lead in the seventh minute, and the Finns, who had struggled in attack in their previous matches, were unable to find solutions again. The Portuguese goalkeeper Isabel Góis made nine saves already in the first half, powering her team to a comfortable 21:11 lead. And while the game was more balanced early in the second half, then Portugal enjoyed a 6:1 run to extend their lead to 15 goals. Right wing Patrícia Rodrigues was their best scorer with eight goals, as her team took a big win.

GROUP 4

France vs Slovenia 41:22 (19:9)

The reigning world and Olympic champions France demonstrated their fire power again, hitting the 40-goal mark in the home encounter against Slovenia. The hosts opened a 6:2 lead 10 minutes into the match, and they continued to fire from all cylinders afterwards. Laura Glauser had a 50 per cent save rate in the first half, propelling her team to a double-digit lead at the break, 19:9. After the restart, Slovenia somewhat improved their attack, yet the French team continued to dominate on the court and cruised to a commanding 19-goal win, as Chloé Valentini and Tamara Horacek scored eight goals each.

Italy vs Latvia 43:8 (21:3)

Italy had enjoyed a big advantage in the reverse fixture, winning it 32:14, and now they were even more dominant and claimed their biggest ever win at the EHF EURO Qualifiers, by 35 goals. Latvia were limited to just three goals in the first half and eight goals throughout the match, as both goalkeepers of the home team impressed with their statistics: Francesca Luchin saved 14 shots for a 82 per cent efficiency, and Maddalena Cabrini recorded 11 saves (69 per cent). Latvia's top scorers Linda Kanepe and Arina Zaharane netted just twice each, and Italy, whose line player Aurora Gislimberti scored six goals, had no problems clinching their second straight win.

GROUP 5

Lithuania vs Azerbaijan 41:26 (18:12)

After losing 13 straight matches at the EHF EURO qualifiers including the reverse fixture in Baku (35:33), Lithuania finally ended a negative streak which started six years ago. On home court in Vilnius, the Lithuanians had a big advantage over Azerbaijan, ultimately hitting the 40-goal mark. The hosts quickly took the game under their control, leading 5:1 in the sixth minute and 14:5 midway through the first half, and they did not slow down afterwards. Left back Gabija Pilikauskaite was on fire, scoring nine goals from 10 attempts, while left wing Dominyka Andronik added the same amount. Lithuania and Azerbaijan are now level on two points.

Spain vs North Macedonia 24:20 (10:9)

Three days earlier in Skopje, Spain had easily won 31:19, but on home court in Lanzarote, they faced more problems, especially in the opening 30 minutes. The hosts made a lot of mistakes in attack and scored just 10 goals before the break, which, however, did not stop them from leading by one goal. North Macedonia, who played more disciplined than on Thursday, continued to fight after the restart, but Spain started to find more solutions in attack, and they used a 4:0 run to take a 16:11 lead in minute 44. A bit later, they even were in front by seven goals, 19:12, before North Macedonia slashed the gap in the closing minutes. With this win Spain have also qualified for the final tournament.

GROUP 6

Montenegro vs Serbia 26:25 (14:14)

The Balkan clash was one of the most exciting qualifying matches on Sunday, and ultimately Montenegro continued their winning run, while Serbia dropped to third position with three points. The outcome could have been different, as both sides had a chance to win in Podgorica. Montenegro were slightly dominant in the first half, but Serbia turned the tide to pull ahead 14:13 before Tatjana Brnovic drew at 14:14 just before the break. In the second half, it was Serbia who led by one or two goals for a long time, yet Montenegro had the upper hand in the final 10 minutes. The goals by Ivona Pavicevic and Matea Pletikosic gave them a 26:24 advantage with four minutes to go, and all Serbia managed to do was to score once in the remaining time.

Türkiye vs Bulgaria 38:13 (19:7)

Following their second straight win against the last-placed Bulgaria, Türkiye have five points after four matches, and they seem to have a good chance to secure an EHF EURO spot. At home, the Turkish team had a big advantage throughout the match, scoring 19 goals in each half and restricting their rivals to just 13 goals overall. Both their goalkeepers Yaren Berfe Göker and Merve Erbektas did well, boasting a 50 and 40 per cent save rate respectively, while 13 of their 14 court players found their names on the scoresheet. Notably, Beyza Irem Şengül and Ceylan Aydemir became top scorers with seven goals apiece.

GROUP 7

Faroe Islands vs Luxembourg 39:21 (17:9)

Just like on Wednesday in Luxembourg (34:16), Faroe Islands won by 18 goals and climbed to second position in the group, ahead of Iceland on goal difference. Luxembourg opened the score 45 seconds into the match, but Faroe Islands responded with a 4:0 run and went on to dominate, as their goalkeeper Annika Petersen did well between the posts. The home team's defence worked well, and Anna Halsdóttir became their top scorer with six goals. While Faroe Islands stay in fight for an EHF EURO ticket, Luxembourg have no more chance to qualify for the final tournament following their fourth consecutive defeat.

Main photo © J. L. Recio / RFEBM