Fiery clashes in round 3 of EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers

GROUP 1

Luxembourg vs Türkiye
Wednesday 8 March, 19:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• both sides have lost their first two games in the group and face must-win situations to preserve their chances
• only three sides – Kosovo, Israel and Latvia – have scored fewe goals in the first two matches than Luxembourg’s 45 goals
• Luxembourg have failed to win a game at this stage of EHF EURO Qualifiers since 2002
• no team have conceded more goals in the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers than Türkiye, 80, and only Latvia and Türkiye have conceded more goals in the first two matches than Luxembourg: 70
• Türkiye have won five of the six matches they played against Luxembourg, riding a four-game winning streak before this match

North Macedonia vs Portugal
Thursday 9 March, 19:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Portugal, who won their first two games of the group, will set their longest winning streak in EHF EURO Qualifiers of five wins if they come through unscathed against North Macedonia
• a win for Kiril Lazarov’s side would be their fifth in a row in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, tying their best-ever winning run, set between 2001 and 2003 and between 2019 and 2021
• only Hungary have posted a better attacking performance in the first two games than Portugal, scoring 77 goals, one more than Paulo Pereira’s side
• a win should see Portugal in prime position to clinch a berth for the EHF EURO 2024, which would be their third tournament in a row and their seventh overall
• the two sides have split their wins in the eight matches played so far, with four wins each, North Macedonia coming on top each time they played on their home court

GROUP 2

Serbia vs Norway
Thursday, 9 March, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Norway will break their own record for the largest winning run in the EHF EURO Qualifiers if they extend their streak against Serbia, currently tying their best run set between 1995 and 1997
• Serbia are in the same position, riding a four-game winning streak, their best in this competition
• Norway’s left wing Sebastian Barthold is one of the top scorers in the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, scoring 15 goals, being on the fifth place in the top goal scorer standings, only four goals less than the trio of leaders
• from the 24 games played at home in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, Serbia have lost a single match, 27:36, against Belarus in November 2016
• the two sides also met in January at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship, with Norway clinching a 31:28 win in the main round of the competition

Finland vs Slovakia
Thursday, 9 March, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Slovakia are in the middle of their worst losing run in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, 11 games in a row, in a streak dating back to May 2017
• only four teams have scored fewer goals than the hosts in the first two rounds, as Finland mustered only 46 goals in the first two matches against Serbia and Norway
• in this phase of the EHF EURO Qualifiers, Finland have won only once in the last 26 games, in an away match against Austria, in November 2016
• Slovakia’s new coach, Fernando Gurich, who replaced Peter Kukucka after Slovakia failed to qualify for the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship, is still searching for his first win in official matches, after conceding losses against Serbia and Norway
• Finland have never won against Slovakia, drawing once, in the first mutual game between the two sides in 2001, and losing the other five matches

GROUP 3

Czech Republic vs Iceland
Wednesday, 8 March, 20:15 CET, live on EHFTV

• this will be the first Iceland match since coach Gudmundur Gudmundsson handed his resignation after finishing 12th at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship
• the team will be led for the doubleheader against the Czech Republic by assistants Ágúst Þór Jóhannsson and Gunnar Magnússon, who will be handing Stiven Valencia his debut, after Valur’s left wing had a superb season in the EHF European League Men, scoring 53 goals in the group phase
• if they win against the Czech Republic, Iceland will seal their 50^th win in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, a milestone which they would have needed 79 games to hit
• no team has conceded fewer goals in the first two matches of the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers than the Czech Republic, who had only 42 goals scored against them
• Iceland have won a single game in their history against the Czech Republic, in the EHF EURO 2018 Qualifiers, losing two and drawing three others

Estonia vs Israel
Thursday, 9 March, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• only one team has scored less goals in the first two matches than Israel, who had only 40 goals scored against the Czech Republic and Iceland in their two losses
• Israel are on a five-game losing run, dating back to March 2021, when they won at home, against another Baltic team, Lithuania
• the guests have lost their last 17 away matches in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, with the last win coming against Bulgaria, in November 2008
• Estonia will tie their worst-ever losing run in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, six games in a row, set between 2005 and 2008, if they lose the game against Israel
• in the only match between the two sides played in history, Israel took a 28:25 home win against Estonia in November 2015

GROUP 4

Faroe Islands vs Romania
Wednesday, 8 March, 20:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• after winning one of the first two games, Romania are trying to secure their first EHF EURO berth since 1996, while the Faroe Islands have never made it to the final tournament
• searching for their first win in the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, the Faroe Islands have the odds stacked against them, having previously won a single game from the 38 they played in this phase of the competition
• Romania have won only five of the last 20 games played in the EHF EURO Qualifiers and only one in the past 19 away matches
• left wing Nicusor Negru is the fourth top scorer in the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, having previously scored 18 goals for Romania in the first two matches
• Romania have won all their five matches against the Faroe Islands, with an average winning margin of 14 goals per game

Ukraine vs Austria
Thursday, 9 March, 19:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Ukraine will play once again on a neutral court, trying to kickstart their EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers campaign in Coburg, Germany
• two of the best scorers in the first two rounds will collide in this game, with Austria’s Robert Weber currently tied with Arkadiusz Moryto and Kay Smits on the top of the standings, with 19 goals, while Ukraine’s left back Ihor Turchenko is fifth, with 16 goals
• a win would see Austria tie their longest winning run in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, five games in a row, twice set in 2003 and 2005
• with a win, Austria would open a four-point gap ahead of Ukraine in the lead of the group, all but sealing their fourth consecutive berth for the EHF EURO and their sixth in history for the competition
• Austria have won two of the three matches played against Ukraine, including one at the EHF EURO 2020 in Vienna, 34:30, in the preliminary round

GROUP 5

Netherlands vs Croatia
Wednesday, 8 March, 19:30 CET, live on EHFTV

• Goran Perkovac will make his debut as Croatia’s coach, after replacing Hrvoje Horvat, who left after the team finished ninth at the 2023 World Championship
• Croatia have an excellent record in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, winning 48 of the 58 games they played, a winning percentage of 82.7%, having never missed the final tournament
• the Dutch side has been sloppy in this group, having won against Belgium by a single goal, 25:24, while losing against Greece, 28:32, complicating their path to the final tournament in Germany
• Dutch right back Kay Smits, who has also been in superb form for SC Magdeburg, scoring 57 goals in the past seven games, is the joint top scorer of the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, with 19 goals
• Croatia are unbeaten in three games against the Netherlands, winning two and drawing the other one, 28:28, in the main round at the EHF EURO 2022

Belgium vs Greece
Wednesday, 8 March, 20:10 CET, live on EHFTV

• after making the cut for the 2023 World Championship, Belgium are actively trying to secure their first-ever EHF EURO berth, but face a must-win game against Greece, after losing the first two matches
• after the win against the Netherlands, Greece are expertly positioned to secure their maiden EHF EURO berth, but will need points in the doubleheader against Belgium
• Greece’s away form has been patchy at best, with only one win in the last 14 matches at this stage of the EHF EURO Qualifiers
• Belgium have lost their last 10 home games in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, with their last win coming against Ireland in June 2013
• Greece have won six of the 12 matches against Belgium, with one game ending in a draw and five games going in Belgium’s way

GROUP 6

Georgia vs Lithuania
Wednesday, 8 March, 15:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Georgia have one of the lowest attacking outputs in the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, with only six teams scoring lower than the 47 goals mustered by them in the first two rounds
• Lithuania’s attack has not fared better, putting only 49 goals past Switzerland and Hungary in the first two matches
• Georgia’s right back Giorgi Tskhovrebadze has been the team’s top scorer so far, with 13 goals, being the best scorer in both matches against Hungary and Switzerland
• experienced players like Aidenas Malasinskas, Gerdas Babarskas or Lukas Simenas return in Lithuania’s lineup, trying to return to the EHF EURO after making the cut for the final tournament in 2022
• six of the seven matches between the two sides ended with wins for Lithuania, with Georgia’s sole win coming in the 2016 World Championship Qualifiers, 26:23 on home court

Switzerland vs Hungary
Thursday, 9 March, 19:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• no team has scored more goals than Hungary in the first two rounds of the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, as Chema Rodriguez’s side had 77 goals
• Switzerland started the EHF EURO Qualifiers with two wins in two matches for the first time since 2008, trying to seal their first berth since 2020 and the fifth in history for the final tournament
• Switzerland have already announced that legend Andy Schmid will take up the coaching position from 2024 onwards, but the centre back will still be on the court, needing 59 goals to become the all-time top scorer of the national team
• both of Switzerland’s wins against Lithuania and Georgia came by the slightest of margins, by a single goal each
• the two sides have met 12 times in history, with the last game coming in the EHF EURO 2002 play-offs, as both Hungary and Switzerland registered six wins each

GROUP 7

Kosovo vs Bosnia Herzegovina
Wednesday, 8 March, 20:15 CET, live on EHFTV

• Bosnia will be trying to secure their third consecutive participation at the EHF EURO, after making the cut in 2020 and 2022, but will need two wins in the doubleheader against Kosovo in the next week
• Kosovo have won only one of the 11 home matches played in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, 27:24, against Israel in April 2019
• only Latvia and Israel have scored less goals than Kosovo – 44 – in the first two rounds of the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, as Bosnia’s 45 goals are a small uptick in the standings
• the guests have lost four away games in a row, but face a crunch tie against Kosovo, needing a crucial win to improve their chances of qualification
• Bosnia have won both matches played against Kosovo, 33:29 and 41:25, in the 2018 World Championship Qualifiers

Montenegro vs Slovenia
Thursday, 9 March, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• Vlado Šola will make his debut as the Montenegro head coach, after replacing Zoran Roganovic, who resigned after finishing 18^th at the 2023 World Championship
• Montenegro can win their 30^th game in the EHF EURO Qualifiers, having played only 54 matches in their history in the competition
• a single team – the Czech Republic – has conceded less goals than Slovenia in the first two matches of the group, with Uros Zorman’s side shipping only 44 goals
• Montenegro’s left wing, Milos Vujovic, was the team’s top scorer in the first two rounds, putting 16 goals past Montenegro’s opponents, enough to be the fifth best scorer in the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers
• Slovenia have won three of the last four meetings between the two sides, including a clear 31:23 win in the main round of the 2023 World Championship

GROUP 8

Poland vs France
Wednesday, 8 March, 18:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• after a disappointing outing at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship, where they finished 15^th, Poland changed their coach, with assistant Bartosz Jurecki taking over Patryk Rombel’s role
• France clinched the silver medal in the World Championship and will be looking forward to securing a berth for the EHF EURO 2024, while also preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
• the third-best attack in the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, France, who scored 75 goals, need only 55 goals in the doubleheader against Poland to hit the 2000-goal milestone in the competition
• Timothey N’Guessan, Aymeric Minne and Karl Konan will return to the France team, while left wing Hugo Descat injured his knee in the last game played for his club, Montpellier HB
• France have won eight of the 14 mutual matches against Poland, including six of the last seven, with the latest being the opening match of the 2023 World Championship, 26:24

Italy vs Latvia
Thursday, 9 March, 16:00 CET, live on EHFTV

• with the two sides trying to position themselves best for a potential EHF EURO 2024 berth, there is no room for mistake, with Italy and Latvia both losing their first two matches
• Italy’s captain and most experienced player, Andrea Parisini, has scored 15 goals in the first two matches against Poland and France, the eighth-best scorer of the competition
• no team has scored fewer goals than Latvia in the first two rounds of the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers, with the Baltic side having a 37-goal tally in their first two matches
• right back Dainis Kristopans will return for Latvia, after missing the games against Poland and France in the first two rounds of the group
• the two sides met four times in history, splitting the wins, with the last game ending in a 36:23 win for Italy in the 2023 World Championship Qualifiers

EHF EURO Cup

Sweden vs Spain
Wednesday, 8 March, 19:10 CET, live on EHFTV

• this will be the rematch of the EHF EURO 2022 final, which Sweden won in dramatic fashion, 27:26, thanks to a penalty converted by Niclas Ekberg in the last second of the match
• the MVP of the EHF EURO 2022, Sweden’s centre back Jim Gottfridsson, will miss the game, due to an injury sustained at the 2023 World Championship
• Sweden are leading the standings for the EHF EURO Cup 2024, with two wins out of the first two games against Denmark and Germany, while Spain are two points behind, with a single win against Germany
• Los Hispanos will miss line player Inaki Pecina, due to an injury, while goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez de Vargas will be rested. Jan Gurri, who shined at the M20 EHF EURO 2022, will make his debut for Jordi Ribera’s side
• the two sides will face off for the 29^th time, with Sweden taking 15 wins and Spain winning 14 matches, including the bronze medal game at the 2023 World Championship, 39:36

Denmark vs Germany
Thursday, 9 March, 20:45 CET, live on EHFTV

• this will be the first game for Denmark since becoming the world champions for the third time in a row in January
• coach Nikolaj Jacobsen will hand their debuts to goalkeeper Simon Gade, centre back Thomas Arnoldsen from Skanderborg Aarhus, right wing Oskar Vind Rasmussen and left wing Emil Bergholt
• young stalwarts Mathias Gidsel and Simon Pytlick will also be part of the squad, while left back Mikkel Hansen is still taking a leave of absence with burnout symptoms
• this will be the first meeting between Denmark and Germany in five years, with the Scandinavian side taking a 26:25 win in the main round of the EHF EURO 2018
• Germany are the only side in the EHF EURO Cup 2024 to still search for their first win after the first two rounds