Unbelievable Toft leads Denmark to second win

GROUP B

Denmark vs Sweden 25:23 (13:5)

• Denmark showed their strength all round with the victory, but goalkeeper Sandra Toft was the undeniable star of the match, with an unbelievable save rate of 81 per cent in the first half
• Sweden scored only one goal in the first 15 minutes, at which point Denmark led 6:1, and Denmark’s defence and Toft kept the Tokyo 2020 semi-finalists to just five goals in the whole first half
• for their part, Sweden has solid defence and Jessica Ryde had a strong opening in goal (45 per cent at the 16-minute mark), but they could not compare with their neighbours until the second half
• Sweden managed to come within two goals in the end, driven by a strong performance from back Tyra Axner, who scored all her goals in that half. But the opening 30 minutes had seen too much damage done
• reaching a final tally of 12 saves at a rate of 44 per cent, Toft indisputedly earned the player of the match award. The top scorers of the game were Axner and Denmark wing Emma Friis, with nine goals apiece

Denmark showing title-winning form

Denmark have been steadily rising under the guidance of coach Jesper Jensen, who took the helm in 2020, alongside his duties at Team Esbjerg. At the 2021 World Championship, where the team won their first medal (bronze) since 2013, the team were favourites for the title and their semi-final loss to France was an unlucky one by just one goal.

At the EHF EURO 2022, they must be considered the main trophy contenders, considering this performance against Sweden. Some might doubt that, given Denmark lost their opener to Slovenia, but it is not unusual for a team that ends up winning the title to face some obstacles.

France won the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the EHF EURO 2018 and the 2017 World Championship after defeats early on. In Tokyo, it seemed they may not even reach the knockout stage but they clinched the quarter-final spot in the last group game and the rest is history. At the 2019 World Championship, the Netherlands lost two matches on the path to the trophy. Can Denmark end the long wait for a fourth EURO title?

Kathrine Heindahl, line player of Denmark: “I’m really happy about getting the two points. I think we played amazing in the first half and we knew that these two points could be very important for the rest of the competition, so for us, the main thing was the two points. We had a really strong defence and Sandra played a really, really good match. So I’m really happy and satisfied with the team’s performance.”

Anna Lagerquist, line player of Sweden: “We knew from the beginning it was going to be a very hard and physical game, and it was from the start. Most of the game, we played good defence, but we struggled in attack and also with our scoring. But it’s really strong from that we kept fighting and that we only lost by two goals in the end when the first half looked as it did. So I think that is really important, that we should take this with us, that we can turn the game. But yes, it was a very, very tough game today.”