After Sweden defeated Portugal 40–33, the eyes quickly turned to the late evening game in Hamburg.
At least one Danish point in the meeting with Norway, Sweden would be ready for the EC semi-finals – and so it happened.
The Norwegians didn’t have a shadow of a chance when Denmark started with a handball display, where the Danish lead was 13–5 already after 20 minutes.
Sweden will be second in the group
The victory – 29–23 in the end – means that everything is clear at the top of the intermediate round. Denmark wins the group and Sweden comes second – and can start preparing for the European Championship semi-final even though there are almost five days to go.
– This is what we work for and what we have aimed to be one of the four best in Europe over time. That we show it again, that we are, I am incredibly proud of, says Solberg to the Swedish media after securing the semi-final place.
At the same time, two game days remain in the second intermediate round, which is already in Cologne. France has a grip on first place and currently looks like Sweden’s likely semi-final opponent – in that case for the fourth time in a row in the EC and WC context.
Solberg commented on the possibility of extra rest earlier in the evening, before he knew that Denmark would later solve the task:
– It would have been a big advantage for us if we are ready and can really prepare for the game on Friday. It means a lot when there are so many matches in a short time.
The meeting on Tuesday evening, against Solberg’s home country Norway, will mostly be a rejected epilogue to the middle round where Sweden can rest the players who would feel good about it.
– It would have been very positive for us. If it becomes clear, we will coach the team against Norway so that we will be at our best on Friday, Solberg said before Denmark gave Blågult some help.
Hamburgers in Hamburg
The Swedish players got Sunday evening off to go out and have dinner wherever they wanted in Hamburg – where hamburgers seemed to be high on the wish list.
– Maybe I’ll meet the family, but we’ll see how tired the children are. Otherwise, I go to (hamburger chain) Five Guys with the boys. We managed it once in Mannheim as well, says Jim Gottfridsson.
Which burger do you have?
– I am very simple, I follow what he orders in front of me.
Facts: The standings in Sweden’s group
(TT)
The table:
Denmark 8 points, Sweden 6, Portugal 4, Slovenia 4, Norway 2, Netherlands 0.
Remaining matches:
Tuesday: Netherlands-Portugal (15.30), Slovenia-Denmark (18.00), Norway-Sweden (20.30).
Denmark and Sweden advance to the semifinals in Cologne on Friday.
If two or more teams end up on the same score, the result will be decided in head-to-head meetings.