Defending champions out to extend their winning run

The Slovak part of the Men’s EHF EURO 2022 throws off on Thursday with defending champions Spain and World Championship 2021 runners-up Sweden the favourites in the capital, Bratislava.

Over in Košice co-hosts Slovakia face a gruelling challenge in their comeback at the EHF EURO, as they meet the EHF EURO 2020 bronze medallists, Norway, while Lithuania are also back after 24 years, facing a team that they have never beaten, Russia.

GROUP E

Spain vs Czech Republic
Thursday 13 January, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV.com

• defending champions Spain have won all eight duels against the Czech Republic in official matches, including six at EHF EURO tournaments.
• their 32:15 victory at EHF EURO 2018 in Varazdin, Croatia, was the overall biggest Spanish win in their EHF EURO history.
• winning the EHF EURO 2020 final against Croatia was the 12th straight unbeaten match for Spain, their longest run in the history of the competition.
• Spaniard Joan Cañellas (41 EHF EURO matches so far) and Czech Roman Becvar (23) are the most experienced EHF EURO players in the current squads
• Spain have six major tournament debutants in their squad: Agusta Casado, Kauldi Odriozola, Inaki Pecina, Sergey Hernandez, Chema Marquez and Ian Tarrafeta

Jordi Ribera, coach Spain: “We should not talk about defending the title, when the tournament has not even started, especially in times like we face currently.”

Ondrej Zdrahala, president of the Czech Handball Federation: “We firmly believe that the team will be able to prepare as best as possible despite the complications and will deliver a quality performance at the European Championships.”

Sweden vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Thursday 13 January, 20:30 CET, live on EHFTV.com

• record champions Sweden (gold in 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002) play their 14th EHF EURO final tournament, while Bosnia and Herzegovina have their second participation after 2020
• the Bosnians are still waiting for their first-ever point at the EHF EURO after defeats against Norway, Portugal and France two years ago.
• the two sides have only duelled four times so far, the last time in qualification for the World Championship 2017, when the Bosnians took their only point against the Scandinavians after three defeats
• Sweden will have to replace their regular goalkeeper Mikael Appelgren due to a long-term knee injury
• due to Covid-19 cases, the last Swedish EHF EURO test match against the Netherlands needed to be cancelled

Benjamin Buric, goalkeeper Bosnia and Herzegovina: “Realistically spoken, Sweden and Spain are too far away for us, but we hope to gain our historic first victory at the EHF EURO against the Czech Republic.”

Glenn Solberg, Swedish head coach: “We must continue to focus on doing the best according to the conditions that are constantly changing.”

GROUP F

Russia vs Lithuania
Thursday 13 January, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV.com

• the Baltic side will celebrate their return to the EHF EURO after a 24-year hiatus. In Italy in 1998 they finished ninth, with one win, one draw and three losses
• Lithuania will rely on centre back Aidenas Malasinkas, the Male Player of the Year in his country in 2021, who scored 47 goals for HC Motor in the EHF Champions League Men this season, but will miss experienced back Jonas Truchanovicius, due to injury
• Russia have their own share of absences, with right back Dmitry Kiselev and line player Vyacheslav Kasatkin left out of the squad due to injuries
• Russia aim to progress to the main round for the first time since 2016, after missing EHF EURO 2018 and losing all three games two years ago
• Lithuania have conceded four losses in four matches against Russia, by an average of nine goals per game, with Russia taking an aggregate 63:44 win in the IHF Men’s World Championship 2015 play-off when the two teams last met

Aidenas Malasinkas, Lithuania centre back: “We do not need an extra motivation against Russia. Playing at this level, at the EHF EURO, is definitely motivating enough.”

Velimir Petkovic, Russia coach: “The main goal is to progress to the main round. In the first part of the competition, there are no opponents against whom we stand no chance. We will try to get the upper hand in each game.”

Norway vs Slovakia
Thursday 13 January, 20:30 CET, live on EHFTV.com

• Slovakia are making their comeback to the EHF EURO for the first time since 2012, when they secured their only draw in the history of the competition
• the hosts are one of the four teams that have never won a game at the EHF EURO, alongside Israel, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Latvia, drawing once and losing the other eight previous games played in the competition
• Norway will have to make do without backs Gøran Johannessen and Magnus Rød, who were carrying injuries and were subsequently dropped from the squad by coach Christian Berge
• the Scandinavian side lost their last friendly game, 25:35, against Denmark last Saturday, and will rely once again on the EHF EURO 2020 top scorer, Sander Sagosen
• the two teams have not met since 2009. Norway have won three times and Slovakia twice in the mutual matches, but the Scandinavian side has not lost against the hosts since 2002

Sander Sagosen, Norway left back: “We lost against Denmark in the last friendly game, against the team who are the favourites to win the gold medal. But we were too far behind, we are no better than what we achieve.”

Peter Kukucka, Slovakia coach: “Norway are the biggest favourites in the group, we understand how strong they are. But if we want to achieve our objective, to progress to the next phase of the competition, we must try and win every game. The first matches in such a competition as the EHF EURO can always be dangerous.”