Summary: Austria take point from Germany as close matches wrap up round 3

• round 3 of the Men's EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers concludes on Thursday
• RESULTS:
  - group 2: Finland vs Slovakia 22:21
  - group 3: Georgia vs Bosnia and Herzegovina 28:26
  - group 4: Serbia vs Spain 27:25
  - group 4: Latvia vs Italy 30:35
  - group 6: Kosovo vs Ukraine 31:30
  - group 7: Highlight Match Austria vs Germany 26:26
  - group 8: Poland vs Portugal 36:36
  . group 8: Israel vs Romania 29:29
• here is how to follow the qualifiers this week
• follow the EHF EURO channels on Facebook, Instagram and X and the Home of Handball on YouTube and TikTok
• Eric Willemsen reported on Thursday; all photos © home teams

22:45

What a tantalising night to close round 3 of the Men's EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers! Seven of the eight matches ended with a margin of two or fewer goals, including three draws. That is how tight these qualifiers are as all teams are eager to continue their path to the final tournament next January.

And the next step on that path will already be taken this weekend, as Saturday and Sunday see round 4 being played, with the reverse fixtures scheduled from the matches we have seen yesterday and tonight.

So, here ends our coverage of round 3. Thanks for joining us on the live blog, and we are happy to welcome you back on Saturday and Sunday. For now, it's good night and enjoy some of the best pictures in our gallery.

14:50

Other games to keep an eye on today include the group 4 clash between Serbia and Spain. Spain top the group with four points from two wins, while Serbia lost to Italy and have two points. Also in group 4, Italy are hoping to keep the momentum going with another win against Latvia as they hunt for only their second appearance at an EHF EURO. Italy had a fantastic World Championship in January and are definitely on the rise.

Portugal are another side coming off a superb World Championship, and want to capitalise on that with another win against Poland to keep themselves top of group 8. 

Meanwhile, Kosovo host Ukraine in the first international meeting between the two. Ukraine were the top-scoring side from the first two rounds and have two points; a win would keep them level with the Netherlands who now have four points after their win against Ukraine in round 1 and draws against Kosovo and the Faroe Islands. 

14:40

The Highlight Match between Austria and Germany at 18:00 CET will be live on EHFTV (geo-restrictions may apply). That game will get extra coverage on our digital channels, so make sure you're following on Facebook, Instagram and X. 

So far, Germany have won both their Qualifiers matches, beating Switzerland and Türkiye, while Austria beat Türkiye and drew with Switzerland. Austria's coach Aleš Pajovic will know many of the opposition well, as he is now the head coach at SG Flensburg-Handewitt. And of course the two teams had a thrilling draw at the EHF EURO 2024 in Germany, so we're expecting fireworks!

14:30

It's day 2 of the third round of the Men's EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers and we're starting nice and early as Georgia host Bosnia and Herzegovina in group 3. Currently, Georgia have zero points and Bosnia and Herzegovina two after they beat Greece. 

Later on it's the Highlight Match of this round, with Austria hosting Olympic silver medallists Germany. Read all about the day's action in the preview!