In Groups G and H, the teams progressing to the main round had been determined before the last day of the group matches, as well as the sides who will go to the President's Cup. However, each team wanted to start the next stage with two points, so there was a lot at stake at all four matches in these groups on Saturday. 

GROUP G

• Spain vs Switzerland 25:21 (14:13)
• Egypt vs Romania 29:36 (14:17)

GROUP H

• Germany vs Czechia 33:23 (17:5)
• Guinea vs Iceland 20:25 (11:13)

What happened: In a hard-fought encounter, Spain proved too strong for Switzerland and finished Group G with a perfect record, so they will start the main round with two points. The Swiss team boasted some good individual performances, as Yara-Ladina Brunette became the top scorer of the match with seven goals, and Seraina Kuratli made 10 saves compared to just four from her Spanish colleague Goundo Gassama. Early in the second half, Kuralti's heroics prevented Spain from scoring during 10 minutes, as Switzerland pulled in front 15:14, yet Spain weathered the storm and ultimately won by four goals thanks to solid defence and good team performance. 

In the battle for the third place in Group G, Romania had the upper hand against Egypt and will start the President's Cup will two points. The European side were determined to earn their first win in the tournament and opened up a 10:3 lead 10 minutes into the game. Egypt responded with a 4:0 run and later cut the gap to just two goals on several occasions, yet the Romanians held their nerve and pulled clear in the second half, as Anamaria Șerban, Maria Alexandra Voicu and Gabriela Maria Tulea netted six times each. 

Germany won Group H, taking their third straight win in style and handing Czechia their first defeat at China 2024. The Germans were particularly dominant in the first half, when they restricted their opponents to just five goals. After the break, Czechia's shooting efficiency improved, but it stood at 48% in the end compared to Germany's 67%. 11 Germany players found their names on the scoresheet, with left wing Chiara Rohr and left back Marlene Tucholke having a special impact with seven goals each, and Tucholke increasing her tally at China 2024 to 22 goals, the best result in the tournament at the moment. 

Iceland took their first win in the competition, so they finished third in Group H and will go to the President's Cup with two points, while Guinea will have no points at the start of the consolation tournament. It was not an easy win for the European side, as Guinea constantly put pressure on them and trailed by just two goals at half-time, 11:13. The African team's goalkeeper M'mahawa Conte did a decent job, finishing the match with a 33% save rates, and her impact helped Guinea to fight back into the match and take a 17:16 lead in the 47th minute. The rivals were still tied at 20:20 with six minutes to go, but a late 5:0 run helped Iceland to win this tight battle. 

Stat of the day: 10 – the number of goals scored by Egypt's center back Shrouk Mahmoud Elsheref against Romania. However, her impact did not help the Africans, who lost their third consecutive match in the competition and will start the President's Cup with no points. 

What's next: In the main round Group IV, Spain and Germany will start with two points, while Switzerland and Czechia have no points, with the matches starting on Monday.