The Scandinavian shock kept its promises. On the second day of the main tour of the Euros, the clash between Denmark and Sweden heralded a tough opposition between two of the continent’s best teams, with the winner taking a step towards qualification for the semi-finals. It’s a joy for the Danes, who thought they had tied just before the buzzer, but the referees signaled the Swedish zone on the same goal (28-27).
Against most of the match (16-12, 20-16), Matthias Gidsel’s three-time reigning world champion (10 goals) never managed to completely get rid of the last European champion. But it is they who alone lead Group II. They can be content with victories in their last two matches against Norway or Slovenia, to seal their ticket to the final four.
Portugal is placed, Norway still remains
Sweden remains in the race, joined by Portugal, with a fine winner over Slovenia earlier in the afternoon (33-30) and led by the Costa brothers (11 goals for Martim, 4 for Francisco). The duel between the Portuguese and the Swedes on Sunday will undoubtedly decide the identity of the other qualifiers.
Yet Norway remains in the race after its victory, which took a long time to take shape, with Parisian Luc Steyns (3 goals, 11 assists) against the Netherlands.
