Lithuania

The last time Lithuania reached the final tournament of the EHF EURO, coach Mindaugas Andriuska was just starting his career, while other crucial players in the current team were just a few years old.

After a 24-year wait, Lithuania are back in business, delivering on the promise Andriuska made when he was appointed in 2019 that he would lead the side to an international competition.

The path has been rocky and Lithuania are by no means a powerhouse, but they still boast a group of players that have been together for a long time. They also have plenty of international experience, including backs Jonas Truchanovicius, the only Lithuanian player to win the EHF Champions League, with Montpellier in 2018, or Aidenas Malasinkas, who has been a mainstay at HC Motor in the past seasons.

Emerging players like Zanas Gabrielius Virbauskas, who was the top scorer in the EHF EURO 2022 qualification phase 2, with 24 goals, will definitely help, but the overall lack of depth could be troublesome, especially in the crunch moments of the games.

Lithuania won only one game in history at the EHF EURO, therefore the need to start strongly is essential. They won only two games in qualification phase 2, but if they play again as they did when beating Iceland 29:27 they could spring a surprise or two this time around.