Sweden are in EHF EURO 2018 final for the first time after legendary generation of Wislander, Lovgren and Co. who brought the last golden medal in 2002. The Swedish team beat favorites from Denmark 35:34 (28:28) (16:14) after huge battle in two extra-time periods.
Match of two Nordic country showed all qualities which handball has as a sport. Swedish team scored fantastic 16 goals for 22 minutes of the match, one less than during 60 minutes of the clash against France in the Main Round (17:23). However, Danish team managed to come back in the second half and prolong match in extra time.
Jimmy Gottfridsson scored for 28:25 exactly 123 seconds before the final whistle, but at the end, Mikkel Hansen gave fantastic pass to Lasse Svan Hansen who scored equalizer in the last second of the regular time.
Andreas Palicka was fantastic between the posts with 20 saves, ten more than Danish goalkeepers Landin-Green. Lefthander Mattias Zachrisson had fantastic role on right back position with eight goals, Jim Gottfridsson and Niklas Ekberg added seven each, while the biggest surprise of the match was playmaker Linus Arnesson, who scored six goals, most of them in the most decisive moments of the match.
Duo Mikkel Hansen (12) and Rasmus Lauge Schmidt (11) scored 66% of goals of Danish team. However, that wasn’t enough.
Sweden VS Spain for the gold on Sunday – 20.30 hrs.
PHOTO: Filip Viranovski
