Denmark were seen as clear favourites in their opening match at the current tournament against debutants Belgium, and the reigning champions lived up to expectations in Malmö, comfortably earning two points and taking the lead in Group H. 

Group H

Denmark vs Belgium 43:28 (22:15)

Nearly two minutes into the match, Belgium's right back Raphael Kötters made history by scoring his team's maiden goal at the Men's IHF World Championship. However, it was the only lead for "The Red Wolves" in the match as the reigning champions have more quality and experience.

Still, the Belgians tried to make up for it with their spirit and determination, and they were just one goal down (6:7) in the 12th minute, as goalkeeper Jef Lettens made a few saves and the 21-year-old Kötters, who plays his club handball for Istres Provence Handball in France, led by example in attack.

However, Denmark became more and more dominant as the match progressed. Belgium struggled to hold back their fast attacks and the world champions already hit the 20-goal mark in the first half. Emil Jakobsen tore the Belgian defence apart on his left wing, netting five times before the break, while the legendary Mikkel Hansen added seven more goals to the team's tally, scoring both from the open play and the 7m line.

In Malmö, which is just about 15 kilometres across Øresund from Copenhagen, the world champions can feel at home, enjoying the vocal support of their numerous fans. Cheered by the crowd, Denmark continued to punish "The Red Wolves" for their mistakes after the restart.

Belgium ended the match with 28 goals, which is not bad for a debut. Yet, although their goalkeeper Lettens stopped 11 balls, his save rate was only 23%. Denmark produced a lot of shots and scored as many as 43 goals in the end. Mathias Gidsel stood out in the second half, ending the match with nine goals, while Hansen increased his tally to 10. Pierre Brixhe became Belgium's top scorer with five goals. 

On Sunday, Denmark will try to claim their second win against Bahrain, while Belgium will meet Tunisia in a match that might be crucial for both sides. 

hummel Player of the Match: Mathias Gidsel (Denmark)