5-8 Placement Round
Norway vs Denmark
Pavillon Municipal de Deportes de Pontevedra, 13:00 local time

The opening day of Spain 2019 saw this classic Scandinavian clash in preliminary group D decided by Denmark’s Nikolai Vinther in the last seconds (32:31) as a mishandled restart by Norway following the left winger’s goal ensured the Danes, in Spain as a replacement team, could start the championship in the best possible way.

Fast-forward nearly two weeks and these two neighbours face each other in the first round of matches to decide 5-8 place with the Danes performing below par considering they have the best historical record at the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship of any nation, with a total of 11 medals won and, since 2003, have only missed the semi-finals at the bi-annual World Championship once, when they placed 13th in 2013. 

That is now twice, and if they end up finishing eighth, it will be one of their worst-ever rankings in the competition after that 13th place, ninth twice (1987, 1995) and eighth in the very first edition, in 1977.

If Norway were to beat Denmark it would mean their joint-second best finish in the competition after a seventh and fourth place finish in the mid-90s and this is further evidence of the upward turn in results in recent years that Norwegian men’s handball has had as it aims to emulate the longevity of success from the women’s national teams. 

Norway's senior men have reached the past two IHF Men’s World Championship finals in a row and played for the medals at the EHF EURO 2016, finishing fourth and their current senior men's head coach Christian Berge has attended every single one of the Norway games in Spain, making notes and observing the future generation.

One of those, goalkeeper Emil Kheri Imsgard, is currently top of the best saves percentage ranking for goalkeepers at Spain 2019 (36 saves form 88 shots – 41%), while Denmark’s attacking future looks bright with key man Emil Laerke lying fourth in the scoring charts on 48 goals.