The Adriatic side of the competition, Rijeka and Opatija, are looking forward to eight new top clashes, which will determine the team's faith. Denmark against Austria will give an answer which is going to the main round with two important points and who will start with zero among the top 16 teams.

Norway want to confirm their first place in the group against Montenegro, while North Macedonia hope they will be the lucky Balkan side of the group. Islamic Republic of Iran and Argentina are going all-in. At the same time, Sweden and the Faroe Islands seek to redeem themselves for the bad performance and find a way to the main round.

Group E

• 13:30 CEST Chile vs Mexico

The Presidents' Cup rally starts with this match for two sides, as the only uncertainty is who is taking two points with them to the new group. Both Chile and Mexico suffered heavy defeats, but Mexico showed why they are considered to be a favourite side in this clash.

Mexican players managed to score at least 21 goals against a strong European side, mainly courtesy of Yahir De Jesus Garcia Reyes and Juan Humberto Anguiano Lopez. Chile, on the other hand, were left disappointed against Austria, scoring only 11 times (three in the first half).

Despite low-efficiency, Camilo Hernandez can produce quite nice shots, but if they want to be able to keep up with Mexico, they will need to toughen up their defence. Winning over Chile could be a road to their best placement ever as at the only previous edition they participated, Mexico finished 24th.

• 15:30 CEST Denmark vs Austria

Denmark and Austria both extended their winning streak by stopping Mexico and Chile respectively, thus confirming their spot in the main round. The only question left is who will take the pole position. Head coach Simon Sørensen gathered an almost completely new team for the 10th IHF Men's Youth World Championship and, with optimism, eye the next round and battle for the top.

The nordic side has always been part of the flagship competition, and this generation wants to live their mark. The Danish side showed some impressive offensive skills with 40.5 goals per game on average, which will be a great asset against Austria. On paper, the Danes are favourites against Austria, but their fellow European friends showed they should not be underestimated.

Austria also passed the 40-goal line, netting 49 against Mexico and 41 against Chile. Coming from M18 EHF Championship 2022 3, the young Austrian squad want to write history at their second-ever appearance at the World Championship. Previously, in 2013 they ended as the 16th team. With an easy flow, a good number of fast breaks and impeccable attacking efficiency with Bernhard Sebastian Huber leading the way, the Austrian defence will be put to the test for the first time at the competition.

Group F

• 17:30 CEST North Macedonia vs Georgia

North Macedonia won the Balkan duel and finally showed their good game after the initial defeat against Norway. Now, they still have a chance of progressing to the main round. They must win against Georgia and see Norway at least tie with Montenegro.

Young handball talents from North Macedonia were fighting to their last against Montenegro and withstood all of Montenegro's efforts to turn the game around with the help of their fans in the stands and later scored a convincing 29:20 win. In the most important game of this squad, goalkeeper David Brestovac had 13 saves at a 46% save efficiency and could be the strongest link of the team against Georgia and all the other opponents waiting for them,

Georgia want to get their hands on the first win and show the product of all the hard work they have been putting into handball in recent years. With the taste of the ''big boys'' game at the qualifications for the EHF EURO 2024, Sandro Darsania remains the leader of the Georgian team, with his tally being nine.

• 19:30 CEST Norway vs Montenegro

Norway are coming to the game with a perfect display at Croatia 2023, winning both games. Montenegro stumbled upon North Macedonia, who messed with their plans of securing the main round already on day 2 of the competition. Now, Montenegro need to have their best day at the office and beat Norway if they want to be among the top 16 teams.

Montenegro could have it all, but their strong performance against North Macedonia lasted for only 25 minutes. Despite all the trying and different tactical approaches, they couldn't seal their main round spot. Having 66% of efficiency in the attack, without fast breaks and play with the wings, Montenegro will have a hard time against Norway's defence. They can't have a stronghold only on Mirche Kalajdijeski and his nine goals so far.

Norway are not yet as successful as their senior national team, but securing their place in the main round is their first objective for the competition. After finishing seventh at the M18 EHF EURO 2022, they are dreaming of taking another step further. Norway's main engine in the attack is Marius Olseth, left-wing from Nærbø IL, who rarely misses and has 14 goals in his tally already. But don't overlook Sebastian Reiersen between the posts, as the goalkeeper never dropped under 38% of save efficiency and will be a hard obstacle to overcome for Montenegrins.

 

 

Group G

• 13:00 CEST Saudi Arabia vs United States of America

The second appearance of Saudi Arabia at the IHF Men's Youth World Championship started better than they had planned. After the expected defeat against Germany on the first day, the Asian side shocked Argentina and shared spoils, keeping their main round dreams alive.

Saudi Arabia will go against the United States of America, motivated with a strong will to win on the highest margin and open the doors of the main round. Yet, they will need to wait for the later game and cheer for Germany against Argentina. Their main weapons are Qasem Alturki, Sajjad Al Fardan and Ahmed Al Saeed, who scored almost 50% of all Saudi Arabia's goals.

The United States of America are the team that is still trying to make a breakthrough in handball, and players from the IHF Men's Junior World Championship, Benjamin Edwards, Nepomuk Grabner and Maksim McCauley, are trying to make a difference in this generation too. Still, they miss fast pace handball and fast breaks, and in order to make an impact, the USA need to minimise turnovers - they are on 50 after two games played.

• 15:00 CEST Germany vs Argentina

Germany became the first country at the 10th IHF Men's Youth World Championship to seal the main round berth with two convincing wins over Saudi Arabia and the United States of America. Against Argentina, who was left disappointed after a tie with Saudi Arabia, Germany aimed first place in the group and took all two points with them to the next phase.

Bronze medallists from the M18 EHF EURO 2022 aim high, and despite having weaker opponents at the start, they showed they mean business. Emir Kurtagic's team, so far, has been deadly for all positions, especially in producing fast counter-attacks and finding blank spots in their opponents' defence. Having both goalkeepers, Frederik Höler and Marc Julian Buchele, on 38% save efficiency is an additional cherry on top.

Argentina are having a tough time after not being able to secure the win over Saudi Arabia. They had a win in their hands, but two consecutive mistakes saw them earn just a point. Now, if they want to have their main round chance, they need at least to snatch a point from Germany or win. And if there is one man Germany needs to stop, it is Lucas Ezequiel Obregon Gomez, author of 15 goals in two games and a strong link of Argentina's play.

Group H

• 17:00 CEST Islamic Republic of Iran vs Burundi

The Islamic Republic of Iran returned to the big stage in style and proved to be the dark horse of the group. After shocking Sweden at the start of the competition and taking a point, they made yet another comeback and beat the Faroe Islands. It was Iran's first-ever win against the European side, and now they have a great chance of progressing further.

They will face inexperienced Burundi, who have been struggling in both games so far, resulting in 96 turnovers in two games. Great fighting spirit and never losing hope were Iran's signature moves alongside Amir Hossein Karami. Left back from Farazbam Khaeiz Dehdasht netted 16 times, but more important was the way he did it. Under pressure, he propelled powerful shots in crucial moments, bringing joy to his team.

The debutants of the competition, who surprised everyone at the 2022 CAHB Men's Youth Handball Championship, proved not to be ready for the obstacles in their respective group, but still they are focused on gaining experience. Their attack efficiency after the first game was at 40% but dropped even further to 37% after the game against Sweden. In 24 minutes, they were able to score only one goal.

• 19:00 CEST Sweden vs Faroe Islands

Both sides have tripped over the Islamic Republic of Iran and now will have to seek redemption if they want to join the top 16 teams of the competition. Sweden finished the last edition of the IHF Men's Youth Handball Championship in 11th place, which was their worst placement in history. This generation doesn't want to repeat the same, but they are in a tough position.

Even though Sweden are more experienced than their fellow Faroese friends, they still remember it was challenging to beat them. At the M18 EHF EURO 2022, two sides met at the start of the competition, and Sweden won 32:29 after a nine-goal outing by the later MVP of the competition, Axel Månsson. However, Sweden need to take an extra percussion on Óli Mittun. IK Sävehof's left back was unstoppable, netting astonishing 17 goals and placing him on top of the top scorer's list at Croatia 2023.

The Faroe Islands are walking in their junior and senior national teams' shoes, showing the country's progress in recent years. While they are strong on the court, especially in defence with Aleksandar Lacok between the posts, their inexperience is showing through their offensive display. In the crucial moments of the game, they lack confidence, and that is something they must work on if they want to beat Sweden and progress further.

Photos: Croatia 2023/Kolektiff images