Sweden cement spot on final weekend 

GROUP I 

Croatia vs Sweden 27:31 (11:17) 

• Croatia scored the first three goals of the match but by the ninth minute Sweden had levelled the game and by the 16th minute the momentum was starting to swing the Scandinavian side’s way, as they created the first two-goal edge and scored a series that went unanswered 
• Sweden did not hit a 10-goal lead in the first half, but they came close, as Nina Koppang scored her second to bring her team in front 17:8 in the 28th minute. The outcome was therefore decided long before the end, as Croatia could not come back fully 
• Despite the loss, Croatia goalkeepers Tea Pijevic and Lucija Bešen had strong performances, combining for 17 saves, with Bešen recording a rate of 50 per cent 
• Sweden back Jamina Roberts earned the player of the match award, while wing Nathalie Hagman was top scorer with seven goals
• it was Croatia’s 60th EHF EURO match and Hagman reached a personal milestone, as she passed 130 EURO goals with her second of the game    

Sweden show consistency since Tokyo 2020 

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games saw Sweden contest the semi-finals for the first time ever. A few months later, they placed fifth at the 2021 World Championship. Now, at the EHF EURO 2022, they will play for fifth — and can hope for their best result since 2018, when they placed sixth.  

It has all been achieved under the guidance of coach Tomas Axner, who took over as head coach at the end of 2020. The victory over Croatia levelled Sweden’s historical balance against the team, which now stands at seven wins apiece. It was Sweden’s second EHF EURO win against Croatia, after they defeated the side on the way to the bronze medal in 2014.

Jenny Carlsson (SWE) – left back: ”It was hard to change the focus. When we knew how the game before us was, was happening in the end and but we need knew that we needed to win this game also and focus on ourselves but it's hard, but now we also know that we want to come on fifth place instead of six.”

Andrea Simara (CRO) – left wing: “Of course we feel sad that in the main round we didn’t achieve at least one victory and I’m proud of all the girls. We are just like you. One month together. One month we are living together like a family. We are behaving like a family. We are happy when we are together. At the end of the day, it’s sport. Sport means to play.”