Sweden secure EHF EURO berth; Ukraine add third win

• in the Highlight Match, the Danes scored 39 goals and ended their qualification campaign with a 100 per cent record
• Sweden beat Iceland with nearly the same score as on Wednesday, when they won 37:24 away from home
• the Swedes celebrated their sixth straight victory and tied their best-ever winning streak at the EHF EURO qualifiers
• Karina Soskyda led the Ukrainian attack with five goals, helping her team to beat Israel for the second time in a week
• at the EHF EURO 2024 Cup, a 46 per cent save efficiency by Kinga Janurik propelled Hungary to their third straight win, 35:27 in Switzerland

GROUP 2

Ukraine vs Israel 32:28 (19:14)

Just two days after winning the reverse fixture in a tight battle (28:27), Ukraine claimed a more comfortable victory and took a step closer towards qualifying for the EHF EURO 2024. It was Israel's Mor Shaul who opened the score on Saturday, but it was her team's only lead throughout the 60 minutes. It did not take long for Ukraine to seize the initiative, and although Israel hit back to draw level at 9:9, the Ukrainians then enjoyed a 4:0 run and boasted a five-goal advantage at the break. Israeli left back Shira Eden Vakrat rose to prominence in the second half, scoring both from penalty shots and open play for a match total of seven, but her team failed to cut the deficit to fewer than three goals. Ukraine did better as a team, and while their best scorer Karina Soskyda netted just five times, six more players scored three to four goals each.

GROUP 7

Sweden vs Iceland 37:23 (18:11)

In Karlskrona, Iceland stunned the home side in the opening minutes, as they led 4:0 before Elon Hansson scored Sweden's opening goal five and a half minutes into the game. A bit later, the visitors still led by four goals, 8:4, but then the Swedes used a 6:0 run to pull in front and went on to dominate. Their defence with Linn Blohm in the middle improved a lot, while Johanna Bundsen made eight saves in the first half, lifting her team to a seven-goal lead. In the second half, Tomas Axner rotated his squad, as his team maintained a firm control of the game, so as many as 13 Swedish players put their names on the scoresheet. Mathilda Lundström and Nina Dano became their top scorers with six goals, helping their team to book a EHF EURO ticket.

GROUP 8

Highlight Match: Denmark vs Poland 39:31 (22:13)

Although Denmark had already qualified for the EHF EURO, they were determined to maintain a perfect record in qualification and took their last match in group 8 seriously. And while Poland had a decent start to the game and led a few times, it did not take long for the home team to take the match under their control. Thanks to fast attacks and solid defence, the Danes enjoyed an eight-goal lead at half-time, hardly leaving Poland a realistic chance for a comeback. In the second half, the hosts continued to dominate, and in the end, 13 of their players netted at least once, with Kristina Jörgensen being a top scorer with seven goals. Notably, Magda Baslam scored nine for Poland, but her team lost, and a double-header against Kosovo in April will now be crucial for them.

EHF EURO Cup

Switzerland vs Hungary 27:35 (16:17)

Following a 12-goal defeat in Tatabanya on Wednesday, Switzerland hoped to take revenge three days later at home in Gümligen, and the first half suggested that they had a chance. Tabea Schmid was their main attacking power, and her three consecutive goals helped the home team to pull in front 15:14 in the 24th minute. However, an impact by Petra Simon saw Hungary hitting back and leading by one goal at half-time. And after the restart, the visitors extended their lead, as the trio of Petra Vamos, Csenge Kuczora and Simon was unstoppable, ultimately scoring 23 of the visitors' 35 goals. And goalkeeper Kinga Janurik was another heroine of the match, making 12 saves for a 46 per cent save rate.

Main photo © Christoffer Borg Mattisson