Denmark claimed their second win at the 2024 IHF Women's Junior World Championship, this time against the Chinese Taipei, 41:19, and made a big step towards the main round. 

GROUP D
Chinese Taipei vs Denmark 19:41 (10:17)

Denmark, one of the contenders at North Macedonia 2024, were big favourites of this encounter, but failed to confirm it early in the match. In the opening quarter of an hour, they made a lot of mistakes and found it hard to break down Chinese Taipei's defense, so the Asian side surprisingly led 7:5 in the 17th minute.

Chinese Taipei could even extend that lead, but missed a couple of chances before Denmark finally started going. In the last 10 minutes of the first half, the European team had full control of the match and enjoyed a 9:2 run, which gave them a comfortable seven-goal advantage at the interval.

Danish goalkeepers Stine Skovbo and Ida Kaysen combined for 12 saves in the opening 30 minutes, and Skovbo continued to have a big impact in the second half, ending the game with 16 saves and a 67% efficiency. In contrast, Chinese Taipei's goalkeeper Hsin Yi Li was restricted to just a 16% save rate, which made all the difference.

The Asian side also had 18 turnovers throughout the game, and Denmark steadily increased their advantage. Left wing Mathilde Verstergaard had a special impact, scoring both the open play and 7m line, and she became the top scorer of the match with 11 goals.

In the end, Denmark hit the 40-goal mark to take their second win, and if Norway claim at least one point against Japan later today, the two sides will be through to the main round. Denmark are scheduled to face fellow Nordic team Norway on Saturday, and Chinese Taipei will meet Japan in an all-Asian clash on the same day. 

Alkaloid Player of the Match: Clara Bang, Denmark