GROUP 2
Ukraine vs Slovakia 25:20 (14:9)
Since the opening minute in Mielec, the hosts looked determined to prove a point after holding a five-goal lead against Germany a few days ago and then losing the match. Ukraine started the match on the right foot and they led throughout the first half and went into the break with five goals more than the opponents. In the second half, it was a pretty similar story, as the inspired hosts even extended their lead to six in the 44th minute and it became clear that the two points were going to stay with Ukraine. Slovakia couldn't keep up with the hosts' tempo and ended losing by the same margin in which they entered the second half.
GROUP 3
Portugal vs Czech Republic 26:30 (13:14)
The highly-anticipated match in Paredes in group 3 was expected to be dramatic and it truly delivered in the first half, as the score was extremely close during the opening 30 minutes. The visitors went to the break with a one-goal lead (13:12) thanks to Markéta Jerábková's brilliance, who scored six goals. In a tense second half, Portugal first mounted a comeback and led until the 47th minute, but in a match full of turnarounds, the Czech Republic's quality handball as well as experience proved pivotal in the end. The visitors took a five-goal lead (29:24) going into the final minutes of the match, which was enough for the Czechs to see the win through. Markéta Jerábková finished the game with eight goals, while Veronika Mala and Dominika Zachova added six goals each.
GROUP 4
Italy vs Slovenia 18:31 (8:13)
The undisputed favourites Slovenia travelled to Chieti after recording a huge win in the opening round, while the hosts were eager to show a different face from the one which conceded 50 goals in France. However, the visitors had different plans, as they endured on an early scoring run and by the 8th minute it was already 5:0 for Slovenia, while it took Italy 15 minutes to score two goals. But, as the first half went on, the hosts started to get back in the game and ended the half with only a five-goal gap, one less than Slovenia's biggest lead. In the second half, the visitors' lead only kept growing and, thus, Slovenia comfortably won the match and are joining France, who also have maximum points after the opening two rounds of the qualifiers. Tjaša Stanko was the match's top scorer against Italy with five goals, while the visitors' goalkeeper Amra Pandžic made 17 saves and had 65.38 per cent save efficiency.
Maddalena Cabrini, goalkeeper, Italy: "We did our best and for sure we played a better team play than against France. We are young and we need to keep growing together and we hope to do also better in the future"
Ema Hrvatin, left back, Slovenia: "Playing against Italy is always a little difficult at the beginning, because they are our neighbours, so we always feel challenged. But I think we found our flow while we were playing, so I believe the second half was much easier and we are really happy of our match."
GROUP 5
Lithuania vs North Macedonia 28:31 (15:17)
The inspired hosts started the match with the purpose to display an improved performance in the first half, after they only scored five goals against Spain in the opening 30 minutes a few days ago. However, even though Lithuania surpassed their goal tally and held an early lead, the visitors had their first lead (8:7) in the 10th minute, with the captain, Sara Ristovska playing an excellent half and scoring six goals. The Macedonian national team held a four-goal lead at one point before the break, but Lithuania halved their advantage in the final moments which gave the hosts hope ahead of the second half. The battle for the two points continued, but the visitors' experience proved crucial in the end. The Macedonians celebrated their first away win in the qualifiers since 2018, as they are on maximum points after round 2 in group 5.
Eduarda Idalina Taleska Amorim, coach, North Macedonia: "We struggled a lot today. We did not manage to realize some of our plans. We played better in defence and we were able to win. It was a great match but I believe that next time we can do much better."
Karolis Kaladinskas, head coach, Lithuania: "The match was very tough. We fought until the end, but the opponents were stronger. Our fans and the great atmosphere in the arena helped us a lot. Unfortunately, we were a few goals short of a good result, but we are not giving up and will continue to fight for a ticket to the EHF EURO 2024."
GROUP 6
Bulgaria vs Montenegro 20:34 (11:13)
The bronze medallist from the Women's EHF EURO 2022, Montenegro travelled to Shumen on the back of a huge win against Türkiye in the opening round, but Bulgaria were motivated to show a different face in front of their own fans after losing to Serbia. The hosts surprised the favourites early in the first half by taking the lead (8:7) in the 21st minute, but it didn't take long for the visitors to hit back and Montenegro took a two-goal lead (13:11) at the break. Unfortunately for Bulgaria, it was a one-way street in the second half, as it took them 10 minutes to score a goal, while by that time Montenegro were already on 22 and the final outcome was becoming obvious. Finally, the visitors celebrated a win and a perfect record after the opening two rounds in the qualifiers, after they restricted Bulgaria to only nine goals in the second half.
Türkiye vs Serbia 29:29 (18:16)
After playing a decent first half in Podgorica a few days ago, but still losing the match due to their poor second half, the ambitious hosts saw an opportunity to repay their own fans against Serbia and they held a lead until the 21st minute, when the visitors completely took over the result (15:13). However, Türkiye were determined to not let the Serbians get away with a bigger lead and played brilliantly in the final minutes, which secured them a two-goal lead (18:16) at the break. The second half was full of turnarounds as both Türkiye and Serbia held the lead at some point, but the final outcome was decided in the last minute. The national teams entered the final 60 seconds of the match on the same level and in the end both scored once more to set the final result and a point for each side. The Turkish left back, Asli Iskit-Caliskan, was the match's top scorer with eight goals. Serbia are in second place in group 6 with three points, while Türkiye secured their first point in the standings and are sitting third.
GROUP 7
Luxembourg vs Sweden 17:39 (7:15)
In their first ever EHF EURO Qualifiers home match in history, Luxembourg were sensationally on an equal level with the two-times EHF EURO medallists Sweden for 18 minutes. While the Scandinavians made an unusual number of mistakes, the hosts were on a high, levelling the result at 6:6. After a wake-up call by the coach Tomas Axner, the visitors improved, while Luxembourg lacked a bit of power and concentration, scoring only one more goal until the break. Finally, the match took its expected rundown, Sweden pulled ahead goal by goal, running waves of counter-attacks, having their first double-digit advantage at 19:9 in minute 35. After their clear 37:20 against Faroe Islands, Sweden are on a straight course towards the Women's EHF EURO 2024. Like at their 32:14 defeat in Iceland on Wednesday, team captain and record player Tina Welter was Luxembourg's best scorer, this time with eight goals, one more than the Swedish duo Nathalie Hagman/Elian Hansson (each seven).
Tina Welter, left wing, Luxembourg: "It was my dream to play against my role model Nathalie Hagman, and finally, I even scored more goals than her. A perfect day. We did not expect to be on an equal level with Sweden for 20 minutes, so we are really satisfied. We had shown that we learnt from the mistakes we made in the first match at Iceland, although we lacked power after the break."
Tomas Axner, head coach, Sweden: "It is always hard to play against an opponent you do not know and which plays differently than usual. We needed some time to acclimate, but then we got the motor running. Luxembourg has developed quite well, and if they continue like this they will be a competitive team in some years."
Faroe Islands vs Iceland 23:28 (12:11)
After successfully starting the qualifiers with a home win against Luxembourg a few days ago, Iceland travelled to the Faroe Islands with the goal to secure another two points and the visitors managed to hold a four-goal lead (7:3) in the 12th minute in Torshavn. However, the hosts weren't willing to give up easily and by the 17th minute, the result was 8:7 for the Faroe Islands after they mounted a comeback. The Faroese displayed their strong character by holding the lead (12:11) at the break, with Elsa Egholm scoring four goals from as many attempts in the opening 30 minutes. But, the visitors played a brilliant second half and their determination as well as quality put them ahead early on and they didn't look back since. Sandra Erlingsdottir and Thea Sturludottir were Iceland's top scorers in Torshavn and with maximum points in group 7, the Icelanders are surely fancying their chances of reaching their first-ever European Championship.
Claus Mogensen, head coach, Faroe Islands: "We played well for most of the match and were ahead at half-time. Unfortunately, we missed too many chances in the second half and then it was difficult to win a close game. We have a very young team and maybe we need more close games like this to gain more experience if we are to win the second half also."
Arnar Pétursson, head coach, Iceland: "The second half was brilliant for us. We played against a good team, Faroe Islands, and we can be grateful for this victory. The performance was very good."
EHF EURO Cup
Highlight Match: Austria vs Hungary 32:34 (15:19)
With both teams on the losing side of things in the opening round of the EHF EURO Cup, both Austria and Hungary started the match eager to make amends for the defeats. The hosts began the match in better fashion and they held a two-goal lead in the opening 10 minutes, but once the visitors took over, it was a one-sided match, with Hungary taking a four-goal lead at the break. Even though Austria attempted to mount a comeback on several occasions, the visitors flew on the wings of the top performance by their goalkeeper, Zsófi Szemerey, who made 15 saves. In the end, Austria came close to securing a draw in front of their own fans, but Hungary prevailed and collected their maiden two points in the EHF EURO Cup. Katrin Klujber ended the match as the visitors' top scorer with nine goals, while the match's top scorer was Austria's Katarina Pandza with 11.
