Summary: Denmark to take on Norway again in EHF EURO final

• the Women's EHF EURO 2024 semi-finals and 5/6 placement match take place on Friday 13 December
• at 15:00 CET: Sweden 33:32 Netherlands
• at 17:45 CET: Hungary 22:30 Norway
• at 20:30 CET: France 22:24 Denmark
• read the day preview here
• vote for the tournament All-star Team via the Home of Handball app
• watch the EHF EURO live show on Instagram or YouTube, starting after the 5/6 placement match
• follow the official social media channels for exclusive clips and behind-the-scenes content: X, Facebook, EHF EURO Instagram, Home of Handball Instagram, and TikTok
• find out more on how to follow the tournament
• all photos © EHF/kolektiff

22:45

We wrap up tonight's coverage here. Tomorrow, there's media calls for all four teams that play for one last time on Sunday: bronze medal contenders Hungary and France, and finalists Denmark and Norway. The blog is live again from 12 noon to bring you coverage and reaction.

22:40

Mette Tranborg gave her reaction straight after Denmark's win, crediting Anna Kristensen in particular.

22:35

We spoke to players and coaches after both matches - here's reaction from Stine Skogrand to Norway's victory. 

22:30

You must not miss the highlights of that second semi-final – here they are to enjoy. The highlights of Hungary vs Norway are here.

22:21

Whew, what an evening of tremendous handball. It was a good night to be Scandinavian, with victories for all three Scandinavian teams. The final on Sunday will be a repeat of 2022 - but will the outcome be the same? And can Hungary defeat France for bronze?

Before we get to find out the answers to those questions, enjoy the match reviews from today.

22:13

We're live again from Vienna with post-match reaction!

14:30

Before today’s games throw off, here are a few top facts:

Sweden vs Netherlands

• Sweden and the Netherlands meet to decide fifth place at the Women’s EHF EURO for the second consecutive time, after the Scandinavian team won the 5/6 placement match in 2022, 37:32
• the Netherlands also placed sixth in 2020, after taking the bronze medal in 2018 and silver in 2016
• the head-to-head record between the sides shows eight victories for Sweden, five for the Netherlands and four draws

Hungary vs Norway

• Norway have not lost an EHF EURO semi-final since the very first event in 1994 and have won 14 of 22 semi-finals played at the Olympic Games and World Championship; this is Hungary’s first semi-final since 2012
• Norway’s record for most goals scored in a EURO game was set against Hungary in the 2004 semi-final, when they won 44:29
• Norway own the head-to-head record against Hungary, taking 20 wins to Hungary’s seven; Hungary have not beaten Norway since the EHF EURO 2014 on their home court

France vs Denmark

• both teams contested the semi-finals at the two previous editions of the Women’s EHF EURO and they were the last teams to lose the title to Norway, with Denmark the runners-up in 2022 and France the second-placed side in 2020
• the overall balance between the sides has four EURO wins apiece, 12 victories for Denmark across all competitions and eight for France, but Denmark have only beaten France once since 2016
• goalkeeper Anna Kristensen has made the most saves at the EHF EURO 2024, with 75, and also has an unmatched rate of 39.68 per cent among keepers who have faced over 100 shots, contributing to Denmark’s first position on the combined ranking including her fellow keepers Althea Reinhardt and Sandra Toft
  
  

14:00

The stat of the day focuses on the second semi-final between France and Denmark, the teams with the shortest average shot distance among the main round participants. Without penalty throws, fast breaks, empty goal attempts and direct free throws France shoots from 6.28 metres, Denmark from 6.29m.

13:30

EHF journalist Courtney Gahan has done some digging into KINEXON’s main round data, to look at which teams have played the fastest, who changes direction most and which players have stood out. Find out more in her feature here.

13:00

Earlier this week, Camilla Herrem revealed this is her favourite goal ever – from the EHF EURO 2010 in Lillehammer, against France.

“I’m coming in the fast break and I got pushed all the way to the line almost, and I did the spin and it went in. I think it was steps also before but the referee didn't see it. But anyway, the ball went in and you could just see my face was surprised. And to do that in front of the home audience, I think that's a goal I will never forget,” she told us.

12:40

The EHF Activities Women in Handball focus today highlights the work of two of our reporting team here at the EHF EURO, Courtney Gahan and Danijela Vekić. There are six women in total in the team bringing you coverage of the final tournament, and it’s a thrill to be able to highlight women’s sport in this way.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by European Handball Federation (@ehf_activities)

12:20

To get you in the mood for the semi-finals, check out the preview episode of ‘The Spin’, as Ana Gros, Andrea Lekic and Bengt Kunkel talk through the four contenders. Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify.

12:00

It is semi-finals day at the Women's EHF EURO 2024! Later on Hungary face Norway and France play Denmark for a chance to fight for gold on Sunday; before then, Sweden and the Netherlands meet again in the 5/6 placement match.

There's lots going on today, but let's begin with the day preview, which is packed with facts and stats about the matches ahead.