Herning (Denmark) (AFP)
The Norwegian handball players validated their place in the last four of Euro-2020 in Denmark on Saturday, thanks to their 36 to 25 victory against Croatia in Kolding, their fifth success in as many games in the competition.
The teammates of Stine Oftedal, crowned player of the year 2019, have eight points and are guaranteed to finish at the top of their group in the main round.
They will face in six days in Herning the second of the other group of the main round, with France, Russia and Denmark in particular.
Dominator of the world women's hand in the 2000s (Olympic titles in 2008 and 2012), Norway holds the record for the number of European titles (7) and climbed to the final of the continental competition without interruptions from 2002 to 2016.
But the Norwegians have not won a major title since the European gold medal in 2016 and even missed the last four of Euro-2018 in France.
Saturday in Kolding, when the two teams were tied (18-18) at the start of the second period, the Norwegians accelerated by inflicting a 12-2 in the space of less than a quarter of an hour, to fold the meeting under the impulse of left-back Kristiansand Henny Reistad, seven goals is one more than Oftedal.
Croatia have six points with one last game to go.
In the same group, Germany won against Hungary (32-25) and remains in the race for a place in the semi-final.
The Germans have four points and still have two games to play, against the Dutch (2 points) and a duel on the last day against the Croats.
© 2020 AFP