A win was required to secure a quarter-final spot. Then Sweden went out and answered for a very strong second half against Hungary. Something that was enough for a 25–22 victory in front of a record audience in Scandinavium.
The conditions for Saturday night’s meeting between Sweden and Hungary. In case of victory, Tomas Axnér’s team would secure a quarter-final place already before Monday’s match against Montenegro, and if they lost, it would be a directly decisive match to determine whether there will be further play in the tournament.
Already early in the match, it was clear that Hungary would be a tougher test than the tournament’s previous opponents.
The young and fast Hungarian team got a good hold on the Swedish defense, which didn’t quite manage to find a countermeasure. This, in combination with countless technical errors in the offense, meant that Sweden was 10-11 behind before the second half.
But in the run-up to the second half, Sweden showed that they want to be a team that is in the running for medals.
The 10-11 deficit quickly turned into a 13-18 lead after a brilliant goalkeeping performance by Johanna Bundsen, while the offensive players found holes in the Hungarian defensive wall.
After the impressive start to the second half, the Swedish team was then able to keep the Hungarians at a reasonable distance and control home that victory which means a place in the quarter-finals.
The final score was finally written at 25–22 in Sweden’s favor after, among other things, six goals from Jamina Roberts and seven goals from Emma Lindqvist. This while being cheered on by a whopping 10,561 spectators in Scandinavium – a new record for women’s handball on Swedish soil.
The victory means that Sweden is now ready for a quarter-final even before Monday’s meeting with Montenegro. It also means that they have secured a place in the Olympic qualifiers for the games in France next summer.
Hungary–Sweden 22–25 (11–10)