Portugal and Slovenia both ended their group stages with wins, advancing to the main round with maximum points. Now they look to push for a semifinal spot, but both teams have been hit by suspensions to key players.
Portugal secured one of the biggest wins in their national team’s history yesterday, defeating Denmark on their home floor. The victory took them to the top of the group and gave them maximum points heading into the main round.
Despite the win, the Portuguese received bad news this morning. Pivot player Victor Iturrizza was shown a red card in the match after hitting Mathias Gidsel in the face. The EHF has now delivered its verdict: Iturrizza will be suspended for the first game of the main round.
Similarly, Slovenia’s Matic Suholeznik was handed a suspension after receiving a red card against the Faroe Islands. He will miss the first two matches of the main round. A tough loss for Slovenia in their pursuit of a semifinal spot.