It was a classic matchup between the Scandinavian sides Norway and Sweden. The match was expected to be the first real test for favorites Norway, but they completely blew the Swedes off the floor, winning 39–26.
In the first half, Norway could do no wrong. They scored in all kinds of ways while maintaining full control defensively. And on the few good chances Sweden managed to create, Katrine Lunde was there to make the save.
The Swedes looked dismantled and shocked, with head coach Tomas Axnér burning two early time-outs without any effect. Going into the break, Norway had a 13-goal lead.
After the break, Norway rotated much of their personnel while still playing free-flowing, high-paced handball against a struggling Sweden. The Swedes managed to somewhat stop the bleeding in the second half but still suffered an embarrassing 26–39 loss to their biggest rival.
The win puts Norway in a prime position to advance to the next round, having taken maximum points so far. Despite two losses in a row, Sweden are not completely out of the tournament yet. However, the chances are slim, and everything will need to go their way for them to advance.