Tamminen's goals sink Luxembourg's EHF EURO hopes

Left wing Teemu Tamminen made all the difference when Finland met Luxembourg in the EHF EURO 2018 play-offs on Thursday. 

The Riihimäki Cocks player scored eleven goals in Finland's 28:23 (17:14) away win and made sure that his team has already more than one foot in the door to the EHF EURO 2018 Qualification.

Luxembourg need a small miracle on Saturday in the return leg, if they want to proceed from the play-offs.

Tamminen scored his first goal after six minutes of play, granting Finland with a 4:3 lead. However, goals were almost scored one for one at both ends of the court at this stage and in the 27th minute everything was still level at 14:14.

However, Finland then exploited several missed attempts of Luxembourg and three consecutive goals - two of them by the game's top scorer Tamminen - granted them a 17:14 lead at the break.

Luexembourg came back storming in the second half and reduced the gap to 17:18 after 35 minutes, but four of the next five goals were scored by Finland, again with Tamminen putting his name twice on the score sheet, and when Finland led 22:18 after 41 minutes, the hosts' resistance was broken.

The return leg will take place in Karjaa at 16:00 hrs local time on Saturday, 9 April. It will be broadcast and streamed live on Finland's TV2.

The aggregate winners of the play-offs will reach the EHF EURO 2018 Qualification. The qualification draw takes place on 14 April in Dubrovnik and will be streamed live on the EHF EURO Youtube channel.