Norway, one of the dark horses of the 2024 European Championship, just beat the Netherlands, 38–35, in the Golden League matchup in Copenhagen.
Norway will probably need to do a lot better than that if they are to achieve success during the Euros. The Netherlands are after all without their best player in Kay Smits, who will miss the Euros due to subacute myocarditis.
This game did not see the best defensive play but instead, a high-tempo one that saw Gøran Johannessen play 8 minutes in each half for Norway after his injury problems. But the Netherlands did well to stay in the game throughout and Norway did not close out the game until the final minutes, securing an important win before the start of the Euros next week.
The Netherlands should also feel great after this game heading into the Euros. A tight game against a great opponent was probably the answer head coach Staffan Olsson needed.