28.04.2021, 08:00
Swiss heartbreak as Denmark turn the tables

GROUP 7 REVIEW: A nail-biting match ended with Denmark clinching a narrow 30:29 win that took the world champions to the EHF EURO 2022

A tight match between Switzerland and Denmark saw the world champions come back in the second half to take a 30:29 victory and decide group 7’s berths at the final tournament.

The result means that Denmark have eight points on their tally, alongside North Macedonia, and that both sides have qualified for the EHF EURO 2022. 

GROUP 7
Switzerland vs Denmark 29:30 (17:14)

• Switzerland took the lead after five minutes and pulled away as clear as five goals multiple times in the first half — first at 11:6 in the 18th minute and latest at 16:11 in the 26th
• Andy Schmid was yet again the superstar for Switzerland, scoring eight goals in the first half alone and a total of 12
• Denmark fought back in the second half, with a penalty save from Emil Nielsen at a score of 22:21 in the 44th minute opening the door for the world champions to grab the upper hand — and the final 15 minutes saw a one-for-one race to the buzzer
• with five minutes left, the match was still on the edge, 28:28, before two strikes from Mads Mensah Larsen decided the win for Denmark
• Denmark coach Nikolaj Jacobsen missed the game due to a recent knee operation, and had elected to leave leading stars Niklas Landin and Mikkel Hansen out of the team for the match against Switzerland

Switzerland profiting from major championship experience

 Switzerland returned to both the European and World Championships after lengthy waits — in 2020, they played their first EHF EURO since 2006 and in 2021 they contested their first World Championship since 1995 — and the increased international experience is clear to see on court.

In the qualifiers, Switzerland collected two wins and played very competitive matches even when they lost. On Wednesday, they proved a tough challenge for the reigning back-to-back world champions

TEXT: EHF / Courtney Gahan