The key to beating Denmark in front of their fans is not to let them settle in their own rhythm, and the Iceland players did exactly that in the first moments of the game. Around a compact defence and pushing every ball, Iceland took an early three-goal lead. With Mathias Gidsel taking charge, Denmark recovered and took a one-goal advantage before the break.
Well into the second half, Iceland gave Denmark more than a run for their money. Displaying incredible endurance and physicality on both sides of the court, coach Snorri Steinn Guðjónsson’s players remained in the game until the last quarter. Then, Gidsel and Simon Pytlick displayed all their skills to finally pull their team out of harm.
After missing the title in 2024, Denmark will have another chance at winning the gold medal on Sunday.
SEMI-FINAL
H2H: 15-3-6
Top scorers: Mathias Gidsel 7/7 (DEN); Janus Daði Smárason 8/9 (ISL)
Goalkeeper saves: Emil Nielsen 4/23, Kevin Møller 2/10 (DEN); Viktor Hallgrímsson 6/35, Björgvin Páll Gústavsson 0/2 (ISL)
POTM presented by Grundfos: Mathias Gidsel (DEN)
- playing impressive offensive handball, with Ómar Ingi Magnússon at the wheel, Iceland were ahead for the 18 first minutes
- Denmark struggled to find their rhythm in the first part of the game and Emil Nielsen did not have as much impact as usual, making no save in the first 15 minutes, before stopping two penalties in a row
- Iceland were in it for most of the second half, not letting Denmark break away, as Orri Freyr Þorkelsson answered every Gidsel goal
- it was not until Kevin Møller took Nielsen’s place between their posts that Denmark finally created a decisive advantage of four goals, at the start of the last 10 minutes
- Denmark will play against Germany in the final on Sunday at 18:00 CET, while Croatia will face Iceland in the bronze-medal game earlier, at 15:15 CET
A perfect mix of physicality and technicality
The Men’s EHF EURO 2026 has been, for the most part, a goal fest, with many matches and teams beating records for most goals scored. As the speed of the game might be increasing and increasing, defence was rarely in the spotlight over the past weeks. But on Friday night, Denmark and Iceland battled it out the old way.
Only a few fast-break goals, a lot of contact, many fouls and — finally, some would say — defence having the upper hand. That does not mean Iceland managed to stop their opponents, as Denmark stepped up their aggressivity to match what they faced. And the fans in Jyske Bank Boxen loved it all the same, despite Denmark being given a tough time by their rivals.
Being in a final is always special. I enjoy it every single time. I’m proud that we’ve reached the final so often in recent years. A lot of fans and media expect us to be in the final every time, but it’s not easy to get this far again and again. I’m proud of what we produced today — it was top class. Iceland were a real challenge.
We gave Denmark a good game. I am proud of my team. My players did all they could to beat them, but it was not enough. The small details turned their way. We made a couple of mistakes in the second half. Especially against Denmark at home, when they have a three or four goals lead, it becomes difficult to stay at the same level. I am really proud of what we did, but sadly, it was not enough.
