Summary: Faroes & Norway draw; first main round spots booked

• groups D, E and F are back in action on Saturday
• Slovenia cruise to a 32:25 win over Poland, the Netherlands earn a record 36:20 victory vs Bosnia, and Portugal's strong first half hands Czechia a 30:27 defeat
• Faroe Islands stun Norway with 26:26 draw, Sweden romp to 42:26 win over Georgia, and Denmark defeat Greece 40:28
• Slovenia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal and Denmark are guaranteed main round berths 
• download the Home of Handball app to make your match predictions and vote for Player of the Match (45 minutes into each game)
• follow the EHF EURO social media channels: X, Facebook and Instagram
• find out how to follow the tournament
• all photographs © Kolektiff Images

23:00

That's all from Berlin and the blog tonight. We need a rest after the drama - they've only just managed to get the Faroese fans to leave the arena and we can still hear them singing.

Where better to close things than the highlights of that group D thriller?

22:50

So here are the match reviews.

Five main round places are confirmed: Sweden and the Netherlands from group E, Denmark and Portugal from group F, and Slovenia in group D.

22:28

In case you missed the end of that match, here it is. 

Some of the Faroese players are coming back to talk to their fans.

22:20

Elias Ellefsen á Skipagøtu is talking to the on-court presenter, but the fans are cheering so loudly you can't hear him - he's called them the "greatest fans in the world". 

22:18

That's the Faroes' first point in EHF EURO history, in only their second match - steered by a team which is mostly in their early 20s. There's lots more to come from them.

Meanwhile, Norway must regroup for a must-win game against Slovenia on Monday. The main round places are not decided in group D!

22:13 | FULL-TIME

Faroe Islands 26:26 Norway

An incredible match ends with an incredible end. Norway call a timeout with 15 seconds left, but on the attack Elias Ellefsen á Skipagøtu steals the ball. He's fouled by Harald Reinkind, and the referees award a penalty - which á Skipagøtu scores.

He is deservedly named Player of the Match.

What. A. Game. 

22:05

A few mistakes are creeping in now for the Faroes, under pressure as Norway lead 26:23. Torbjørn Bergerud has pulled off a series of excellent saves and that is making the difference - although Pauli Jacobsen, back in goal for the Faroes, is also saving. 90 seconds remain.

22:01 | FULL-TIME

Greece 28:40 Denmark

Denmark wrap up a win against a good Greek side, and go through to the main round alongside Portugal. 

Michael Damgaard, scoring 10 goals, is Player of the Match.

21:56

A no-goal is given to the Faroes, and Sander Sagosen puts Norway up by two (25:23).

On the counter-attack, Óli Mittún was fouled very hard and went down with a thump. It goes to video review and Petter Overby is handed a red card.

21:53 | FULL-TIME

Georgia 26:42 Sweden

Sweden equal the record for the most goals scored in an EHF EURO, but Georgia have kept fighting and the arena has been behind their every success, which is wonderful to see.

Sweden are through to the main round and take the Netherlands with them - they play for top spot in the group on Monday.

21:49

The Faroes just keep equalising. 21:21 with 12 and a half minutes to play - can they keep this up?

21:44

Make sure you vote for your Player of the Matches before they end!

21:42

Greece are still hanging in there against Denmark, and have not let the lead extend too much further - it's 28:20 to the world champions.

Sweden lead 36:19 and the record for the number of goals in a single EHF EURO match (42) is definitely on.

21:35

17:17 in Berlin, and Jonas Wille calls a timeout. 

21:32

Nothing in it in Berlin, as the Faroes' fast play, a bit of luck and some great saves by Nicholas Satchwell is keeping the debutants toe-to-toe with Norway.

Denmark lead 26:16 and Sweden have a 31:15 lead over Georgia.

21:25

The Faroes are sticking with the seven-on-six tactic. Let's see how it goes ...

21:20

The match has restarted in Mannheim - there's still a few minutes of break in Berlin and Munich.

21:18

Don't forget that the Faroe Islands vs Norway game is being live audio-described, for those of you with visual impairments. Click here to access the tool.

21:13

This is an incredible game and here's what EHF journalist Filip Mishov thinks of it:

21:10 | HALF-TIME

Faroe Islands 12:13 Norway

What a game and what an atmosphere! Surely the Faroese will run out of steam, but for now, they are pushing the 2020 bronze medallists every second.

Nicholas Satchwell replaced Pauli Jacobsen in goal after Jacobsen struggled in the opening minutes and has then made four saves (50 per cent) - but Torbjørn Bergerud is also doing well, with seven. 

Georgia 9:23 Sweden

Sweden equal the third-highest score for one half in EHF EURO history with a brutal attacking performance against Georgia. Albin Lagergren has now scored 300 goals for the national team, but Sebastian Karlsson is top scorer so far with seven goals. And Tobias Thulin has made six saves (40 per cent).

Greece 13:20 Denmark

After being pressured by Greece for some 15 minutes Denmark decided enough was enough and stretched out to a big lead. Michael Damgaard has scored eight goals, and Emil Nielsen made seven saves (35 per cent - plus one penalty save for Niklas Landin. 

21:03

The Faroes equalise at 12:12 thanks to Óli Mittún. 

21:00

The Faroes concede a second goal into an empty net, but after 22 minutes of playing seven-on-six attack that's not too bad. Norway still lead, but the Faroese are sticking with them and it's 11:12. 

Denmark have stretched ahead of Greece a little, and lead 14:9; Sweden have already put 20 goals past Georgia (20:9).

20:55

Spectacular goal by Petter Overby here:

20:51

Greece are showing they're not afraid of a fight. Although some of Denmark's stronger players are not playing much so far - Simon Pytlick hasn't touched the ball yet - the Greeks are in the match and it's 7:10.

It's also 7:10 to Norway, with the Faroes basically annoying their more experienced opponents and producing some lovely handball.

20:45

The Faroese fans are cheering every move their men make and every call the referees take in their favour, and booing loudly every time Norway does - well, anything. It's making for an electric atmosphere in a packed Mercedes-Benz Arena, and the Faroese are doing well on it. It's 7:8.

Sweden lead 11:4, and Denmark 8:5.

20:40

Seven-on-six has cost the Faroes one goal, although they're hanging in there and it's 5:6 to Norway at the moment - a high-scoring Scandinavian battle so far.

Denmark lead Greece 6:1, and Sweden Georgia 7:3.

20:31

Throw-off - and the Faroe Islands are playing seven-on-six in their first attack!

20:20

As usual, squad lists are here. Mikkel Hansen would have been playing his 50th EHF EURO match, but he's being rested.

• Faroe Islands vs Norway
• Georgia vs Sweden
• Greece vs Denmark

20:10

The Faroe Islands' fan song is being played and 5,000 Faroese are on their feet to clap along. We have 20 minutes until the next games throw off.

19:58

The match reviews are in, recapping three strong winning performances which have almost given Slovenia, the Netherlands and Portugal main round places. They'll just be crossing their fingers for Norway, Sweden and Denmark to secure victories against the Faroe Islands, Georgia and Greece in half an hour.

19:37 | FULL-TIME

The three winners all pick up a second victory, meaning their places in the main round are much closer - although only assured if Norway, Sweden and Denmark also win again in the next matches.

Poland 14:20 Slovenia

Slovenia were able to relax in the closing stages of the game, allowing Poland to close up very slightly, but it was still a very good win from a side on form. Poland didn't really have any answers in attack or defence.

Gasper Marguc is top scorer with six goals from six shots, including one penalty. Dean Bombac is the Grundfos Player of the Match, with five goals and five assists.

Bosnia and Herzegovina 20:36 Netherlands

Another huge win for the Netherlands, setting another record for the most EHF EURO goals they've scored in a match - more than the 34 against Georgia in round one. Rutger ten Velde is the top scorer with nine goals, including five penalties, and is the Grundfos Player of the Match. Bart Ravensbergen saved nine shots (47.4 per cent). For the Bosnians, Marko Davidovic is top scorer with four goals. The Dutch were just too good from throw-off.

Czechia 27:30 Portugal

Portugal allowed Czechia to come quite close at the end of the game - they really won towards the end of the first half, stretching out the gap enough to be able to survive mistakes in the second. 

After Francisco Costa shone in the first game for Portugal, today it was his big brother Martim's time in the limelight. Costa netted 11 goals from 16 shots and was deservedly named Player of the Match. Matej Klima managed eight for Czechia. 

19:25

13,293 people are in Mannheim to watch the Netherlands romp to their second victory of the competition - a sold-out crowd. And despite trailing 17:31, the Bosnian fans are still cheering their team on.

19:22

You have to give Czechia credit for hanging in against Portugal; the gap hasn't really widened in the second half. Gustavo Capdeville is now between the Portuguese posts and also playing well, and it's the goalkeeper performance which is making the biggest difference. With about 10 minutes to go, the margin remains five goals (24:19 to Portugal).

19:16

Open up your Home of Handball apps and vote for the Player of the Matches!

19:14

Dani Baijens nets his eighth shot of the game, and that's 50 EHF EURO goals for the Dutch left back. The Netherlands now lead 27:12 against Bosnia, and as we get into the fourth quarter, everyone is getting their chance on court. Once again Staffan Olsen has the luxury of being able to rotate his bench.

19:07

News from the Olympiahalle: there are 12,128 fans there and it's sold out. With Czechia on a 3:1 run to close up to 15:20 Portugal coach Paulo Pereira calls a timeout.

19:04

The Netherlands and Portugal have both hit 20 goals now, and lead 21:9 and 20:13 respectively. Diogo Rêma Marques has let a penalty past him, but we can probably forgive him after his first-half antics.

18:58

Tilen Kodrin is the hardest-working man on the Berlin court at the moment, having barely stepped off since the game started. He's been rewarded with five goals from five shots.

Slovenia lead 23:15.

18:50

The games will soon be back underway. A remarkable stat from Munich - Diogo Rêma Marques has saved all four of the Czech penalty shots taken so far (including the last one from Dominik Solak which led to Solak's red card). That's definitely contributed to the big Portuguese lead.

18:44

Here's EHF journalist Filip Mishov's assessment of the match in Berlin so far:

18:42 | HALF-TIME

Poland 14:20 Slovenia

Poland started well, but rather lost steam as the Slovenians picked up their pace, and now trail by six goals. Slovenia's place in the main round is looking good right now. More from EHF journalist Filip Mishov in a moment.

Bosnia and Herzegovina 7:17 Netherlands

The Netherlands have effectively shut down the Bosnian attack, and are steaming towards another big win and a likely place in the main round. Rutger ten Velde has scored a perfect five from five; Dani Baijens six from seven. Bart Ravensbergen has been stopping shots with ease, with an efficiency of 64 per cent (seven saves).  

Czechia 7:13 Portugal

Czechia were already finding Portugal a tough nut to crack, but lost Dominik Solak to a red card just before the break after his penalty thudded into Diogo Rêma Marques' face. Led by Martim Costa (five goals) Portugal are on track for their second win and a good chance of the main round.

But Martin Galia, who last year announced his retirement, has been a moment of brightness for Czechia - stepping on court for less than four minutes but making one save for 100 per cent. 

18:30

Portugal have upped their game and upped their defence, and taken a 12:6 lead against Czechia. Diogo Rêma Marques is having a great day too (5 saves for 50 per cent).

The Netherlands lead Bosnia 11:3, while Slovenia have used the likes of Miha Zarabec sparingly but effectively and now lead 16:11 against Poland.

18:25

Dani Baijens in action. It's now nearly 10 minutes since Bosnia scored.

18:20

Czechia are showing that their close first half against Denmark was no fluke - they've stuck to Portugal closely in the first quarter, with four goals by Matej Klima accounting for almost all the 5:7 tally. After Francisco Costa took the limelight on Thursday for Portugal, it's his brother Martim who's shone so far for the 'Heroes of the Sea', with three goals.

After a lengthy pause so Samir Benghamen could have a cut on his face attended to, Bosnia vs Netherlands has resumed and it's the Dutch who have extended their lead to 8:2. Dani Baijens is on fire, contributing half of that total.

18:15

As mentioned just now, Kamil Syprzak has been key for Poland so far. He's just scored a penalty after Blaz Blagotinsek was suspended for a foul on Michal Olejniczak, which saw Olejniczak tended to on court - he seems OK though, and has walked off for a rest.

18:10

It's 5:5 in Berlin. Borut Mackovsek has scored three of Slovenia's goals, while Kamil Syprzak and Syzmon Sicko are leading the Polish charge in terms of goals and passes. 

The Netherlands are slowly taking control over Bosnia and Herzegovina (5:2), while Czechia have levelled against Portugal. 

18:05

A sloppy start for Slovenia sees them turn over the ball a couple of times, giving Poland a 2:1 lead.

Dani Baijens has just equalised at 1:1 for the Netherlands after a quick goal for Bosnia and Herzegovina got them on the board early. Meanwhile, it's also 1:1 in Munich, with Czechia scoring first.

18:00

And we throw off.

In Berlin there's a good crowd of Poles around the stadium, and the drums are going as they attack.

17:53

Not too many surprises on the squad lists for tonight. Maybe the most interesting choice is that Xavi Sabate has switched Jan Hrdlicka for Martin Galia in the second goalkeeper position. Tomas Mrkva was the first choice between the posts on Thursday against Denmark, making eight saves (26.7 per cent) - clearly Sabate wants the experience of Galia as an option. The 44-year-old Galia is Czechia's most-capped EHF EURO player, and this will be his 40th EHF EURO match, almost twice as many as any of his teammates.

17:45

As we head fast towards throw-off, here's the links to the squads and live tickers for the first three matches:

• Poland vs Slovenia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Netherlands
• Czechia vs Portugal

17:30

Thirty minutes until throw-off! Here in Berlin, Poland and Slovenia are well into the warm-up and spectators are starting to settle down.

17:20

Bosnia have the backing of some big names - they've received good luck messages from the likes of basketballer Džanan Musa and Bosnia's best-ever footballer, Edin Džeko. 

17:00

It's been a busy couple of days for Greece, what with training and media commitments. They've shared a reel of a TV interview with Savvas Savvas and Nikolaos Passias, doing their best to promote the sport back home. Of course now attention turns to their match tonight against the world champions, Denmark, which will definitely be a test for the debutants.

16:45

Here in Berlin some of the Slovenians are starting a leisurely warm-up - no sign of Poland yet, but they've got the support of their women's national team back home (some of whom are playing European club competitions today and tomorrow).

16:30

Are you playing our match predictor? You should - there's daily prizes up for grabs, so even if you haven't played yet you can easily catch up (several of us were caught out by yesterday's results and lost points)!

Just head to the Home of Handball app and launch the game hub to play.

16:12

Happy birthday to Bobby Schagen and Ivar Stavast of the Netherlands! Will they get a win and a main round place to celebrate?

15:30

Slovenia shared some photos of their training session yesterday in preparation for today's game against Poland. A win would take the Slovenians through to the main round.

14:15

There'll be a bit of a break in the blog now before we resume later on - in the meantime, caption this great image of official mascot Hannibal!

13:54

If you're interested in statistics, you should check out the player statistics and team statistics pages, which have a wealth of information about the teams to delve into. 

There are currently four players at the top of the top scorer standings, all with nine goals: the Faroe Islands' Hákun West av Teigum and Elias Ellefsen á Skipagøtu both scored nine in the opening match, with West av Teigum a little more efficient but Ellefsen á Skipagøtu shooting more often; then it's Giorgi Tskhovrebadze of Georgia and Hampus Wanne of Sweden, who have also scored nine times each.

Realistically, that puts Wanne in pole position for the top scorer race overall at this early stage, as Sweden look set to progress to the main round while the Faroes and Georgia have a bigger challenge on their hands to do that.

13:26

Time for the stat of the day, which reveals just how much offensive responsibility Elias Ellefsen á Skipagøtu has for the Faroe Islands. Fascinating stuff from Julian Rux!

13:02

One of the youngest players at the Men's EHF EURO 2024 is Portugal's Francisco 'Kiko' Costa - still only 18, but after a stunning performance against Greece, one of their key players. EHF journalist Eric Willemsen takes us through Costa's round one impact and talks to the right back about his tournament so far.

12:25

The fans have been turning out in force at these championships - we're expecting around one million spectators across all the 65 matches - so here's some of the best pictures taken by our team of ace photographers from Kolektiff Images so far.

12:01

Bosnia and Herzegovina play their second game today, and they're still hoping they can win their first major tournament match. EHF journalist Danijela Vekić had a chat with Marko Panic about their chances.

11:30

While we're still looking back on yesterday, here are also the top 5 saves of the day. Sadly none for Spanish fans, as the duo of Gonzalo Perez de Vargas and Sergey Hernandez failed to make any stops until the 55th minute of the game against Croatia - an unbelievable statistic for a top pairing.

11:00

We had a simply incredible night of handball yesterday with some amazing close matches and that stonking win by Croatia against Spain. So the top 5 goals of the day are especially worth watching.

10:30

First up today, some team news.

Spanish left wing Miguel Sanchez-Migallon fractured his left hand in yesterday's match against Croatia, and coach Jordi Ribera has called up Viran Morros as a replacement

Kai Häfner is currently not with the German team as his wife is about to give birth - congratulations to the Häfner family!

And Senjamin Buric is injured, so is unable to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina for the rest of the tournament.

10:00

Welcome back to the live blog on Saturday 13 January.

Last night, groups B and C played their first games, so today we're into round 2 and it's time for those teams which played on Thursday to take the court once more. There's lots at stake - main round spots, historic wins and more. Without further ado, let's begin with the day preview.