Greece and the Faroe Islands create shocks to seal crucial wins

GROUP 3

Czech Republic vs Iceland 22:17 (12:10)

After a mediocre display at the World Championship, Gudmundur Gudmundsson departed Iceland, meaning a very talented team was searching for guidance. They did not find it in the first match after Gudmundsson’s decision, going close to tying the record for their lowest number of goals scored in a single match in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, 14, set against Russia in 1995.

Xavi Sabate’s influence is clear to see in the Czech Republic’s display, with the defence shining game after game, conceding the lowest number of goals so far between the 32 teams in the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, 59, or an average of 19.6 goals per game.

Kiel’s goalkeeper Tomas Mrkva also shone for the hosts, with 14 saves and a 45.3% saving efficiency, but Iceland’s attacking efficiency was down to 27%, due to their plethora of turnovers – 13.

GROUP 4

Faroe Islands vs Romania 28:26 (15:9)

The Faroe Islands had previously won only a single game in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, against the Czech Republic, but displayed a huge amount of grit and determination to secure their second one in 38 matches at this level.

Outplaying Romania in the first half, the hosts led by as many as seven goals in the second half, only for a 7:1 run from Xavi Pascual’s side to cancel that huge lead.

In the end, though, the hosts looked better and more clinical. Right wing Hakun West av Teigum had a flawless match, scoring 11 goals out of 12 shots, while backs Elias Ellefsen a Skipagotu and Oli Mittun each put five past Romania to help Faroe seal their biggest-ever win in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, 28:26, creating a huge conundrum in the group, which looks as open as ever.

GROUP 6

Belgium vs Greece 24:26 (10:13)

In the current format of the EHF EURO Qualifiers, Greece had never secured more than two wins in a group, but now they have won two matches out of their first three, tying with the Netherlands and Croatia on four points, at the halfway point of the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers.

The win came as a huge shock, despite Greece leading by three goals at half-time, as Belgium went on a 7:2 run to take back the lead and look to be in firm control of the game. Despite their superior experience, the hosts missed too many shots, while only Jeroen de Beule was in top form, scoring seven out of his 10 attempts.

But when push came to shove, Greece were more focused. Georgios Papavasilis and Charalampos Mallios scored the decisive goals to earn a 26:24 win, leaving Belgium in a must-win position in the away leg this weekend. Otherwise, Belgium’s dream of reaching their first-ever EHF EURO will be up in smoke.

GROUP 7

Kosovo vs Bosnia Herzegovina 22:25 (10:14)

There were big ambitions for Kosovo to equal their output from the EHF EURO 2022 Qualifiers, when they took three points off Romania, but their chances of getting a ticket to Germany 2024 has now been reduced significantly, after a disappointing 25:22 home loss against Bosnia Herzegovina.

It was a true nail-biter, after the guests took a seven-goal lead in the first half, only to see themselves in danger of throwing away the win, after Kosovo came back and cut the lead to a single goal, 18:17.

Eventually, a 5:0 unanswered run for Bosnia, fueled by their top scorer, Mladen Boskovic, sealed the deal, with the guests eager to reach the EHF EURO for the third time in a row.