Hungary came back in the last minutes of the match to seal a crucial 24:24 draw against Romania, in a true derby against the hosts, with Romania's chances of progression being slimmer now. The People's Republic of China also secured a berth in the quarter-finals via Hungary's draw.

In Group I, Montenegro also came back to secure a 27:26 win against Germany and, with it, a quarter-finals berth, as Spain also made it through to the knockout phase.

Main Round Group II
Montenegro vs Germany 27:26 (16:11)

Montenegro entered the decisive clash knowing that a victory would secure their first quarter-final appearance at the IHF Women’s Youth World Championship since finishing fourth in 2014.

After an evenly contested opening, the key spell came between the ninth and 15th minutes. Trailing by one, Montenegro turned the score around and moved 7:5 ahead, laying the foundations for the remainder of the first half.

Germany initially stayed afloat thanks to several saves from goalkeeper Lotta Willuhn, but their back court struggled to make an impact, having scored only three goals from 10 attempts. Montenegro relied on Andrea Dragnić to keep the attack flowing and, once goalkeeper Maša Dubljević also found her rhythm between the posts, the Balkan side seized full control.

A 4:0 unanswered run stretched the lead to 14:9 in the 25th minute, leaving Germany searching for answers. The Europeans finished the first half with an attacking efficiency of just 41%, compared to Montenegro’s 59%, and once their defence also began to lose its grip, the five-goal halftime deficit reflected the balance of play.

After the restart, it was a completely different story. Germany stormed out of the dressing room with a 5:0 unanswered run, leaving Montenegro scoreless for the opening seven minutes of the second half and drawing level at 16:16. From there, the match developed into a fierce battle, and in the 44th minute Luna Külker completed the turnaround, putting Germany ahead 20:19 — their first lead since 5:4.

The drama continued until the final whistle as Montenegro regained the advantage at 27:26, but a late turnover handed Germany one final opportunity to rescue a point. However, the Germans failed to convert a penalty in the closing seconds, allowing Montenegro to celebrate a hard-fought victory that secured a place in the quarter-finals.

The defeat also ended Germany’s quarter-final hopes after finishing fifth at the previous edition. The result also confirmed Spain’s progression to the quarter-finals, ending the Netherlands’ hopes too.

Player of the Match: Luna Külker (Germany)

Group III
Hungary vs Romania 24:24 (16:15)

There was no winner in an all-European clash, meaning Hungary edged closer to the quarter-finals, having three points under their belt. Romania have just one point, and following this draw, the People's Republic of China, who top the group with four points, secured an historic quarter-final spot.

Romania pulled in front 2:0 early on, but soon the Hungarian line player Kata Kollár sparked a 4:0 run that resulted in her team's 5:3 lead. After that, Hungary were dominant for quite a while, as their goalkeeper Noémi Radics did well between the posts.

Thanks to her saves as well as further Kollár goals, Hungary led 11:7 in the 18th minute, but Romania gradually started to wake up. Backs Monica Scarlat and Diana Sălăjan stepped up, fuelling their team's 5:1 run late in the first half. And while it helped the Romanians draw level at 15:15, right wing Petra Keller secured Hungary's one-goal edge, netting just before the break.

Early in the second half, the rivals missed a lot of opportunities, so Hungary's 18:17 lead remained unchanged between the 34th and 40th minutes. Romania broke that deadlock with a 3:0 run, taking their first lead in a long time and prompting the Hungarian coach to ask for a timeout.

Romania's goalkeeper Elena Coserea Pîtiu did not concede a goal for nearly nine minutes, giving a moral boost to her teammates with her heroics. She finished the game with 18 saves and a 46% save rate. However, Radics also did well, recording 15 saves — and she kept Hungary in the game.

With four minutes to go, Romania seemed to be on the way to victory, leading 24:21, but Hungary showed character and finished the game with a 3:0 run. Their left back Nikol Litschauer, who scored a total of six goals, netted the last two goals in the match from the 7m line, securing her team a draw.

On Tuesday, Hungary will need just one point against the People's Republic of China to seal a quarter-final berth. Even if they lose, they should still qualify thanks to a 13-goal advantage in goal difference over Romania. But if Hungary lose, Romania will have a chance to leapfrog them with a win against Sweden.

Player of the Match: Elena Coserea Pîtiu (Romania)