Denmark – Iceland 31:28 (14:13)

The Danish handball players have reached the semi-finals of the European Handball Championships Island won with 31:28 (14:13). The reigning world champion and Olympic champion is the German team’s final opponent on Sunday at 6 p.m.

Germany and Denmark already met in the main round. The victory clearly went to the Danes with 31:26 (13:12). In addition, the German handball players have not won a competitive game against Denmark since the 2016 European Championship. However, the German team should be encouraged by the fact that Denmark has already suffered a defeat against Portugal in the European Championship tournament.

Iceland was able to hold out for a long time

The appearance in the semi-finals was anything but perfect for the Danes. The Icelanders kept the game open against the clear favorites until the final phase.

After a quick 3:6 deficit, Denmark took the lead for the first time at 9:8 in the 19th minute of the game. It wasn’t until well into the second half that the Danes managed to take a three-goal lead for the first time in the game, making it 23:20 (47th). The Danes’ best thrower was world handball player Mathias Gidsel from Füchse Berlin with seven hits.

If the Danes win against Germany on Sunday, it would be their first European Championship success since 2012. “This is a big issue for us. We finally want to win this tournament,” said captain Magnus Saugstrup from SC Magdeburg. The Icelanders, however, will play against Croatia on Sunday in the game for third place for their first European Championship medal since 2010.