19:55
It is the 10th official match between Slovenia and Poland, with Slovenia having the overall balance in their favour — five wins to Poland's three, plus a draw.
Slovenia are missing two important backs, both from Szeged and both due to ankle injuries: Nik Henigman and Borut Mackovsek.
19:51
We are inside the final 20 minutes before Slovenia vs Poland begins and warm-up is well underway in Celje.
Remember, Slovenia are second on the table behind Poland and hope to clinch two points that will see them grab pole position. See all the group standings here.
19:42
Jim Gottfridsson really turned on the style for his 100th match for Sweden! Three goals and eight assists for the World Championship 2021 All-star Team playmaker.
19:37
Let's have a look at the group 8 standings following the Sweden vs Montenegro clash.
With the win, Sweden move up to six points where they stand four points clear of Montenegro and Romania, both on two. Kosovo sit at the bottom of the group on zero points.
Kosovo and Romania are set to meet tomorrow night, so Romania will either take a step closer to the Scandinavian group leaders, or Kosovo will put their first points on the table and throw the group open.
19:32
RESULT: SWEDEN VS MONTENEGRO 27:24 (15:13)
Montenegro kept it close right to the end and Sweden could never relax with the win assured, but in the end, the Scandinavian side take the two points at home.
19:17
10 minutes on the clock and Sweden have edged ahead to a 24:21 advantage.
If Sweden take the win, it will be a sweet celebration of Gottfridsson's 100th match in the national team jersey!
19:11
Just past 45 minutes on the clock and the match is still on the edge, with Sweden unable to shake Montenegro completely as the difference of two goals persists, 22:20.
Fatigue could become a factor for Montenegro, who have relied on a smaller number of players to do the heavy lifting in comparison with Sweden.
19:06
Montenegro goalkeeper Nebojsa Simic has made some important saves to keep his side within reach. Take a look at one of his best below!
Despite his efforts, Sweden are holding the lead steady, 20:17, as we hit the 40-minute mark.
18:57
The second half of Sweden vs Montenegro throws off and Sweden are quick to increase the gap to four goals before the visitors narrow it again.
We are set for an exciting second period as Montenegro are not going to let these two points slip away easily.
Watch the match here.
18:41
HALF-TIME UPDATE: SWEDEN VS MONTENEGRO 15:13
At half-time, Montenegro have narrowed the deficit against a touch but Sweden still have a two-goal edge.
Sweden wing Niclas Ekberg is leading the scoring race, with six goals scored in the first 30 minutes.
18:33
Although Montenegro issued a quick response and fought back to within one, Sweden have reclaimed a firm upper hand for a score of 15:11 as the final five minutes of the half begin.
MVP of the EHF EURO 2018 Jim Gottfridsson is leading his side expertly from centre back yet again — check out this assist from earlier in the match!
18:27
From 8:8 in the 14th minute, a 3:0 run from Sweden has seen the World Championship runners-up take the lead as we near the last 10 minutes of the half.
18:22
It is not only fans interested in watching tonight's EHF EURO 2022 qualifiers — our sources tell us Germany are watching from their hotel rooms in Berlin, as they will meet both Sweden and Slovenia later this week in the Olympic qualification tournament.
Germany will not play any EURO qualifiers this week. The next match in this stage for the EHF EURO 2016 winners is at the end of April, when they are scheduled to meet Bosnia and Herzegovina away.
18:15
10 minutes in and we have a level game at 6:6.
EHF journalist Björn Pazen reminds us of some interesting history between Sweden and Montenegro: in 2012, Montenegro were the side to knock Sweden out of the World Championship qualification, with an aggregate win of just one goal in the two-leg play-off.
It was a painful defeat for Sweden, who had placed fourth at the previous World Championship, in 2011, and went on to take a medal at the Olympic Games less than two months after the World Championship play-offs.
18:06
We are now live with the first match of the night! If you cannot watch Sweden vs Montenegro or are interested in keeping up with all the stats, you can also follow on the live ticker.
17:55
Time to tune in! Starting whistle on Sweden vs Montenegro in 10 minutes.
Take a look at Sweden's starting lineup below.
17:30
Throw-off in the first EHF EURO 2022 qualifier of the week is less than one hour away, with Sweden set to meet Montenegro in group 8 at 18:05 CET.
After tonight's opener, EHF EURO 2020 semi-finalists Slovenia play Poland. Slovenia are hoping to take the win and pass Poland on the group 5 table, as Poland currently lead with four points ahead of Slovenia on three.
We spoke with Slovenia assistant coach Uros Zorman about the importance of this match for his side. Read the feature below!