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In the 65th minute, perhaps in the 70s, the victory began to demand virtues beyond handball, that conviction, that nature that only a few have and there, just then, the first European semifinal was decided next to Croatia (28-29). At the last moment of the second extension, after 80 minutes, the ball fell into the hands of the pivot Zelkjo Musa, a defensive specialist, a woodcutter, a man who only had two goals in the entire tournament, and for that Balkan gene , so stereotyped and at the same time so true, it was already known that it would mark. What whims has the handball, which reserves glory to its gregarious. Croatia will play the third continental final of its history and, after the defeats of the Ivano Balic generation in 2008 and 2010, will seek its first gold.

Despite its very scarce rotation, with five players above the 60 minutes played -Domagoj Duvnjak, Luka Stepancic, Zlatko Horvat, Igor Karacic and David Mandic-, the Croatian team dominated a match with their combination game and the clairvoyance of their leader , Duvnjak, who went to eight goals. Norway, which had been the best team in the European in the previous stages, disappointed by its lack of resources in the key moments, although it grabbed everything it could thanks to its pitchers. Goeran Johannessen, Eivind Tangen and, above all, his reference, Sander Sagosen, who scored ten goals, swelled his score, but denied that the rest of his teammates could do it. The first goal from the end, for example, came in the 59th minute, when Magnus Joendal scored on 23-23 that led to the first extension. Then Duvnjak would score a penalty to force the second and so on to Musa's goal.

The extra tier mounted on the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, a giant scaffolding that cuts the roofed soccer field in half, shook with the jump of the Croatian fans who left drunk with joy - and beer, of course. Your hangover will be complicated, like that of the players, who less than 48 hours after a strenuous match, the best European game, will try to take advantage of a historic opportunity.

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