Europe 1 with AFP 00:08, January 26, 2023
An air of revenge and deja vu: the semi-finals of the World Handball Championship will pit Friday, as in the previous edition two years ago, Denmark against Spain and France against Sweden, winners of their quarter, Wednesday.
During the previous edition in Egypt, the Danes, double defending champions, and the Swedes won.
The Swedes dominated Egypt (26-22) in the quarter-finals of the Handball World Cup but may have lost their playmaker Jim Gottfridsson to injury, injured in a hand.
They will welcome, at home, in Stockholm, France, Olympic champion in title.
The Blues themselves got out of the German trap in Gdansk (Poland) (35-28), thanks to the great performance of their substitute goalkeeper, Rémi Desbonnet (14 saves on 30 shots).
Just before, in this room, Spain had won after two extensions (35-34) an anthology quarter-final against Norway.
As in 2021 in Egypt, the reigning European vice-champions overcame the Scandinavians, but this time, in an almost miraculous way: they equalized just before the siren by Dani Dusjhebaev, served very quickly after an offensive foul whistled against the Norwegians with less than five seconds remaining (25-25).
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Spain in extra time
The Spaniards in turn equalized (29-29) five seconds from the end of the first extra time by Kristjan Björnsen, who sent the two teams into another extra time.
The Norwegian right winger was the unfortunate hero this time: after another goal from Dani Dusjshebaev 45 seconds from the buzzer, he had the equalizing ball, stopped by the Spanish goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez De Vargas.
There was much less suspense on the other side of the Baltic Sea, where Hungary were drowned by the quick play of the Danes (40-23).
Their left-back Matias Gidsel confirmed his great form with 9 goals (from 10 attempts) and four assists.
With this qualification, the Scandinavians beat the invincibility record they co-held with France: they have not known defeat in a World Cup for 26 matches and a defeat in 2017 in the round of 16 against... Hungary.
This will have to wait to find the last four, reached the last time in 1997.