Key highlights of the day: Crucial clashes highlight crunch day at Poland/Sweden 2023

20 Jan. 2023

Key highlights of the day: Crucial clashes highlight crunch day at Poland/Sweden 2023

The first two days of the main round at Poland/Sweden 2023 are now done and dusted, and we had our first big surprise of the competition: Denmark snatched a draw against Croatia (32:32) after a very close match, with the depleted Croatia side clinging by the skin of their teeth. Egypt also made a big step towards the quarter-finals with a win over Belgium.

Norway and Germany have been dominating Group III with excellent performances in Katowice and are only one step away from the quarter-finals.

There is no rest day in the main round as Groups I and II are back in business in Krakow and Gothenburg. In Group I, France and Spain can earn their quarter-final berths with wins against Slovenia and the Islamic Republic of Iran. At the same time, Sweden can also seal a quarter-final spot with their fifth win in a row when they face Iceland.

Portugal have been one of the teams to watch in this competition and they also have the youngest player at Poland/Sweden 2023, Francisco Mota da Costa. The 17-year-old right back has had an amazing emergence in the world of handball and has also impressed in his first edition of the IHF Men’s World Championship.

Another young stalwart emerging on the handball stage is Germany’s Juri Knorr, who has had a special competition so far, leading his team to a four-match winning streak. Read his story here

All the statistics, tailor-made for everyone, are just one click away, so you can follow your favourite player and see who’s the best scorer, the best assists provider and the best goalkeeper. 

Dutch right back Kay Smits took the lead in the top goal scorer standings with 32 goals, one more than Chile’s Erwin Feuchtmann and two goals more than Denmark’s right back Mathias Gidsel, who has scored 30 goals so far.

Curious about where you can follow your team on TV? Don’t worry, we also got you covered – just click here!

Don’t forget you can also win prizes by predicting the results of the matches at Poland/Sweden 2023.

The IHF is working hard to bring you the very best from what is sure to be an exciting competition, and wherever you are, there are many ways to follow the action! Make sure you stay up to date, follow our social media channels and find out which was the pic of the day and the best actions of the day! 

You can also check the best plays from the first day on our Facebook and Instagram accounts, with plenty of mouthwatering goals ready to be seen.