Slovenia upset Denmark for first time in over two decades

Following Portugal’s draw against the Netherlands, Portugal relied on a draw or loss for Slovenia in this match. Slovenia dashed Portugal’s hopes of travelling to Cologne with what was their third victory over Denmark in nine mutual clashes.

Slovenia goalkeeper Klemen Ferlin earned the Grundfos Player of the Match award after making 10 saves.

GROUP II

Slovenia vs Denmark 28:25 (17:14)

• a combined 14 saves from their goalkeepers Klemen Ferlin and Urban Lesjak helped Slovenia deliver a superb game, with Aleks Vlah netting the match winner with 56 seconds to go
• with key players like Mathias Gidsel, Simon Pytlick and Magnus Saugstrup not even on the start list, Denmark’s intentions to rest up for the semi-finals were clear, as the likes of Lukas Jørgensen (six goals) and Niclas Kirkeløkke (five) grabbed the chance to shine
• driven by speedy counter attacks and extensive rotation, Slovenia established the first two-goal lead in the ninth minute, 5:3, and hit their first three-goal advantage at 13:10 five minutes before half-time
• the second-half entry of Emil Nielsen was crucial, as he saved three from four shots faced in the first 10 minutes on court to help Denmark close the three-goal half-time gap
• Denmark took the lead for the first time since the opening goal in the 40th minute and held a one to two-goal edge until the final 10 minutes, but saves from Urban Lesjak helped Slovenia reclaim the upper hand

Thrilling win sends Slovenia to Cologne

Slovenia will play the 5/6 match in Cologne, which means they are sure to record one of their best rankings at the EHF EURO. Their biggest success was a silver medal on home turf in 2004, and they returned to the semi-finals in 2020 for their second ranking in the top four.

Aside from that, they finished fifth in 2000 and sixth in 2012. As they are certain to take fifth or sixth position again, Slovenia have booked one of their best five finishes in their 14 EHF EURO participations with the campaign in 2024.

Photos © Kolektiff Images