France are European champions – after overtime

France and Denmark faced each other in last year’s World Championship final, where Denmark emerged as the winner. However, history did not repeat itself as France took revenge and won 33–31 after overtime.

Both teams maintained a close pace in terms of gameplay, and the initial minutes were described as action-packed. Emil Nielsen had a strong start in goal, making several saves. France slightly slowed down the pace with long attacks, while Denmark utilized their speed more. In less than ten minutes, France had already received two suspensions.

Emil Nielsen acted as a wall, making it difficult for the French to score. On the other side of the field, Samir Bellahcene faced a tougher challenge in his goal. Mathias Gidsel played a key role, as expected, scoring four goals on four shots and providing two assists. The teams stayed neck and neck, despite some technical errors from the Danish side. With two minutes remaining, the score was tied at 13–13.

Halftime score: France–Denmark 14–14

Denmark had a strong start in the second half, establishing a three-goal lead within the first five minutes. Dika Mem struggled offensively, failing to score a single goal in the first half and the beginning of the second. With less than 20 minutes left, Denmark led 19–17. Mikkel Hansen was reliable from the penalty line, and Mathias Gidsel was also secure in his positions. In the French offensive, Ludovic Fabregas stood out, fighting hard on the line. With ten minutes remaining, Simon Pytlick scored to make it 23–21 for Denmark. However, France soon caught up and surpassed them. Mikkel Hansen equalized to 25–25, and shortly after, Niklas Landin made a crucial save, allowing Hansen to score another goal.

With three minutes left, the score was 26–26. However, Mathias Gidsel scored to make it 27–26, and Ludovic Fabregas equalized to 27–27. Denmark had a free-throw after the final whistle, which Mikkel Hansen missed, leading the match to go into overtime.

Denmark started overtime with a seven-player attack and immediately gained an advantage. However, France managed to equalize through goals by Nedim Remili. The teams remained tied in overtime, with goals from both Simon Pytlick and Ludovic Fabregas, making the score even at halftime.

Dika Mem scored his first and second goals early in the second part of overtime, giving France a two-goal lead with less than four minutes remaining. Denmark made mistakes in the offensive, and it increasingly seemed that France would emerge victorious in the final. Mikkel Hansen, however, scored 30–31 with a penalty throw, but Elohim Prandi then scored 30–32. Denmark managed to reduce the lead, but they had to let Yanis Lenne take a shot undisturbed. This means that France is the European champions.

Final result: France–Denmark 33–31