In order for Denmark and Sweden to already secure a spot in the semifinals tonight, Denmark needed to defeat Norway. The Danes then went out and dominated the Norwegians, which also means that both the Danes and the Swedes are guaranteed a ticket to the semifinals.
Denmark had the best start and established a lead of 8–4 after just over 13 minutes. Norway then took an early timeout in an attempt to break Denmark’s scoring streak. The Danes had success in their offensive play, countering and finding large gaps in the set-up, with Emil Nielsen performing exceptionally well in defense. The Norwegians seemed to lack confidence in their tentative offensive play.
With eight minutes left in the second half, the Danes had extended their lead to 14–8. The Norwegians continued to struggle to score, even with a numerical advantage. Simon Pytlick was prominent in the Danish offense, while Emil Nielsen continued to make saves in defense.
The Danes started the second half sloppily, while the Norwegians had improved and played more consistently than before. The Norwegian defense was significantly better compared to the first half. After ten minutes, Denmark led 21–16. Emil Nielsen remained brilliant in the Danish goal, making several outstanding saves, while Hans Lindberg was reliable from the penalty line.
With ten minutes remaining, the match felt almost decided. Denmark led 25–18, and everything pointed to a Danish victory. Although Norway made a valiant attempt to catch up by playing seven-against-six, it wasn’t enough to overcome Nikolaj Jacobsen’s team.
With Denmark defeating Norway, it’s clear that both Sweden and Denmark are through to the semi-finals.
Norway–Denmark 23–29 (11–18)
Men’s EHF EURO, January 21st:
Slovenia–Netherlands 37–34 (19–13)
Sweden–Portugal 40–33 (19–15)