The German handball players are qualified for the semi-finals before the final World Cup main round match against Spain on Wednesday evening (20.30 clock, TV: ARD, live ticker SPIEGEL ONLINE) - but they do not know against whom they play against in Hamburg on Friday.
Possible opponents are Norway , Denmark or Sweden . Who it is will also depend on the game against Spain.
The DHB selection is currently the first of their main round group and would therefore meet in the semifinals on the second of the other group - the supposedly easier opponents.
The German team would probably like to avoid Denmark , probably the strongest rival. So far the World Cup co-organizer has won all seven of his games. Because Denmark, like Germany, are leading their group, both teams are currently out of the way in the semi-finals. The fact that after Denmark's final duel with Sweden on Wednesday remains so, is most likely - so the German team beats Spain.
Opponents would be Sweden (current: second, six points, +15 goals) or Norway (third, six points, +13 goals) starting at 18:00 against Hungary. The Hungarians have no chance to progress.
But if Germany loses against Spain, the DHB selection could drop back to second place. The prerequisite for this is that France will at least pick up one point against Croatia at 6 pm.
REUTERS
National coach Christian Prokop
With a victory, the German team would be sure to move into the semi-finals as a table first. Their goal difference (+19 goals) is better than that of the French (+14).
National coach Christian Prokop has announced that he will not play for victory at any price. "Of course we want to win a good farewell from Cologne and the game," Prokop said. "Whether we go through this to the bitter end, but I'll leave it a question." The deciding factor for us is the semi-finals.