There were two conditions for Iceland to reach the semi-finals of the EHF EURO 2022. The first one was that they would win their own game against Montenegro before hoping for a Danish win against France.
At least the first condition is fulfilled, as Iceland easily got past Montenegro. Welcoming the return of Aron Palmarsson and Bjarki Mar Elisson, the Icelandic side clearly took the upper hand right from throw-off, although Palmarsson was injured early on and left the court.
Victor Hallgrímsson was elemental again in that purpose, saving half the shots aimed in his direction in the first half. And with a nine-goal lead at the break, Iceland were able to cruise all the way to victory in the second half.
GROUP I
Montenegro vs Iceland 24:34 (8:17)
- there was little suspense in the first half, as Iceland had clearly the upper hand in the first 30 minutes. With Viktor Hallgrímsson saving eight shots, his teammates had opportunities to score easy goals, and they did not waste them
- Montenegro reacted in the second, partly thanks to Milos Vujovic’s incredible performance. Scoring 11 overall, the left wing brought his team back within five with 20 minutes left to play
- however, Iceland were never really threatened, despite rotating their players in the last 10 minutes. Darri Aronsson, scoring his first personal goal, even gave them their first 10-goal advantage a few minutes before the final whistle
- two players scored 11 goals in the game: Iceland’s Ómar Ingi Magnusson and Montenegro’s Milos Vujovic, who was elected Player of the Match
- thanks to this win, Iceland are now second in the group, tied with France. If France do not take a point against Denmark, Iceland will progress to the semi-finals
Once again, Viktor Hallgrímsson made the difference
It has almost become a tradition now. When Viktor Hallgrímsson is good, Iceland are very often close to the win. And Wednesday afternoon was no different.
The Icelandic goalkeeper delivered a stunning performance in the first half, stopping eight shots at a 50 per cent efficiency rate. In his wake, his team were already nine goals ahead at the break, with the two points almost in their pockets.
