France continues its dominant run in the EHF Euro Cup. On Saturday, the national team secured a thrilling 38–40 victory over Denmark. Meanwhile, in Norway, Sweden claimed its second consecutive win against its Scandinavian rival, edging the hosts 30–31.
After winning a tight contest against Denmark on Wednesday, France faced the Danes again on Saturday. Despite a strong start from the home side—leading 12–8 after 15 minutes—the French machine soon kicked into gear. Four unanswered goals from the visitors leveled the score, setting the stage for another intense battle.
The game remained neck-and-neck throughout, but when Nedim Remili made it 39–37 with 40 seconds left on the clock, the outcome was all but sealed. France ultimately secured a 38–40 victory.
– Offensively, we played well. When you score 38 goals, you expect to win the game. But conceding 40 is concerning. We know the French physicality is one of the areas where we struggle, said Nikolaj Jacobsen, Denmarks head coach, told Danish TV 2 Sport after the match.
The night also marked a special moment for Denmark as the team paid tribute to Henrik Møllgaard, who played his final game for the national team.
– It’s been a long and crazy day. I wanted to focus on playing handball, but that was difficult. This is something extraordinary. A huge thank you, said Møllgaard.
Meanwhile, in Norway, the group’s other two teams faced off, with Sweden once again coming out on top.
Sweden looked to be heading for a comfortable win, but Norway fought back fiercely. When Sander Sagosen made it 31–30 with 30 seconds remaining, the Norwegians had a real shot at turning the game around. However, Sweden called a timeout and expertly ran down the final seconds to secure the victory.
– We were a step ahead of Norway for most of the match. We showed great energy, played with hunger, and stood together as a team, said Michael Apelgren, Sweden head coach, on the national team’s website.