Stockholm (AFP)

Spain and Croatia, respectively winners of Slovenia (34-32) and Norway (29-28 AD) will meet on Sunday (4.30 p.m.) in the final of the Euro-2020 handball for a continental title and a place for the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

The Spanish, reigning European champions, dominated their semi-final against Slovenia, despite a great fright at the very end of the match, when the Barcelona teammates Jure Dolenec returned to a length a minute and a half from the end ( 33-32) after having recorded up to six goals behind (23-17, 36th).

But Alex Dujshebaev scored the goal for the Spanish to avoid giving the equalizer to the Slovenians, who will have to settle for the bronze medal match and go for a second continental podium after the 2004 silver .

The first semi-final gave rise to an incredible scenario, made of many twists and turns, two periods of overtime (twenty minutes in total) and a goal three seconds from the end of Zeljko Musa to offer Croatia a third continental final after the defeats in 2010 against France and 2008 against Denmark.

Author of a huge game, the indestructible Domagoj Duvnjak (31) scored eight goals, including the seven-meter throw to save his team in the 70th minute and hang the second extension of two times five minutes. Very logically, he was named man of the match.

The meeting had taken a very favorable turn for the Croats at the start of the second period, who took three goals ahead (15-12, 37th), even had a ball over four, stopped by the excellent Norwegian goalkeeper Torbjörn Bergerud.

It was then that Sagosen, untenable at the start of the match but silent for about twenty minutes, took matters into his own hands for Norway. The two teams went back to back and Sagosen's ten goals were not enough to seek a third final in the last four major tournaments for Norway.

The stake of the final between Spain and Croatia will be double since the winner will validate his ticket for the Olympic Games in Tokyo (July 24-August 9) while the loser will be forced to play a final qualification tournament from 17 to April 19.

© 2020 AFP