Norway revalidated the title of women’s European handball champion this Sunday, in Ljubljana, Slovenia, by lifting the trophy for the ninth time by beating Denmark 27-25, which led practically from the beginning.
Denmark, bent on regaining a title that has eluded them since 2002, and which they won three times in the first five editions, surprised Norway with an aggressive defense and soon built a four-goal lead (7-3), which increased to five. (10-5).
With some of their most influential players discreet in the match, Norway, committing an unusual number of technical errors, always ‘ran’ behind the scoreboard, which at half-time hung for Denmark by three goals (15-12).
Denmark maintained the same trend at the beginning of the second half, goalless in the first four minutes, in which they led with an average advantage of three or four goals until 22-18, leaving the chance to repeat the victory against Norway in the air in the regular phase (31-29).
A run of four goals from the Norwegian team, in a period of fasting for the Danes, who remained seven minutes without scoring, allowed them to cancel out the four-goal disadvantage, at 22-18, and tie at 22-22, with two goals in a row from center Maren Aardahl.
With the experienced and effective 42-year-old Katrine Lund in goal, the Norwegian team took advantage of the Danish team’s mistakes, mainly in the ‘seven against six’ tactical scheme, to go ahead for the first time in the game by 24-23 , with about 6 minutes and 30 seconds to go.
In a few minutes, Denmark went from ‘heaven’ to ‘hell’, adding successive technical errors, which made the goal impossible, and saw Norway ‘grow’ in the final minutes for the 27-25 victory, with decisive actions by Henny Reistad, considered the MVP of the tournament.
The Norwegian Nora Mork, with eight goals, was the outstanding player in the final, followed by the Danish Louise Burgaard, with six, and Ema Friss, with five, considered the best left-back in the competition.
In the match for third place, which preceded the final, at the Stozice Arena in Ljubljana, the Montenegro team won the bronze medal by beating France 27-25 after extra time.
Montenegro, who already lifted the trophy in 2012, reached the break with a 13-12 advantage, increased the difference to three goals at 16-13, which they maintained at 20-17, but a good reaction from France forced the extra time, after a tie at 22-22.
The reigning Olympic champion and vice-champion of Europe and the world France, who also won the trophy in 2018, recovered from the deficit with a partial of four consecutive goals, going ahead with 21-20, and already after Montenegro regained control, with 22-21, I managed to tie at 22-22.
In extra time, Montenegro scored five goals against only three for the French team and won the bronze medal at Euro 2022, with a 27-25 win.
Jovanka Radicevic and Djurdjina Jaukovic, with six goals, the latter top scorer for Montenegro with 48, stood out in terms of goalscoring, while Estelle Minko and Lucie Granier, with four, stood out in France.
Source: Observadora
