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Paris 2024 | Slovenia celebrate maiden semi-finals berth with clear win over Norway

07 Aug. 2024

Paris 2024 | Slovenia celebrate maiden semi-finals berth with clear win over Norway

For the first time in their history, Slovenia have secured a spot between the top four teams at the Olympic Games, clinching a 33:28 win in the quarter-final against Norway, after a match which they controlled from start to finish.

Slovenia join Denmark, Germany and Spain in the semi-finals and will face the reigning world champions in the battle for a spot in the gold medal match.

PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES
QUARTER-FINALS
Norway vs Slovenia 28:33 (12:16)

Neither Norway, nor Slovenia had previously reached the semi-finals of the Olympic Games, but the two sides were facing off in a historic quarter-final in the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, with the winner securing their maiden semi-finals berth in the competition.

Therefore, all the preparation, which has been going on for months, everything the teams worked for was in play for 60 minutes, as the winner would join Denmark, Germany and Spain in the penultimate act, with three of the four remaining teams sealing a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

It was hard to pick a favourite before the match, as both sides had good matches and some off moments at Paris 2024 so far, with three wins and two losses, but Slovenia were the one starting better, as Norway showed structural problems in both attack and defence.

In the latter, their goalkeepers, Torbjorn Bergerud and Kristian Saeveraas combined for only three saves in the first half. While in attack, it was only Alexander Blonz really shining for the Scandinavian side, ast he left wing scored seven of his team’s 12 goals, or a fantastic 58.3% of Norway’s total.

That also meant that Norway lacked the needed variety in attack, which played exactly into Slovenia’s hands. With goalkeeper Klemen Ferlin saving eight shots for a 38% saving efficiency, Uros Zorman’s side created a 16:12 lead at the break, a four-goal gap which was already a mountain to climb for Norway.

Once again, it was left back Aleks Vlah who shined for Slovenia, scoring once again in double digits, as his team constantly led by three or four goals until the 46th minute, when Slovenia had a three-goal lead and a penalty. Experienced centre back Dean Bombac hit Saeveraas’ head with the shot and conceded a red card, while Norway scored through Sagosen in the next attack, to make it a two-goal match, 24:22.

But a string of missed shots and turnovers hampered Norway’s effort to come back. Vlah’s 11-goal outing was helped by right wing  turned right back Blaz Janc, as the two were once again their team’s top scorers, with Janc adding nine more goals. Vlah and Janc had 60% of Slovenia’s total goals, with the former also jumping to the second place in the top goal scorer standings, with 46 goals, one behind leader Mathias Gidsel.

A 5:2 run for Slovenia pushed the gap to five goals, 29:24, with five minutes to go and from that moment on, it was game over for Norway, which missed the starring qualities of Sander Sagosen – only three goals from eight shots.

The 33:28 Slovenia win meant that the European side, which had only three appearances at the Olympics, secured a semi-finals spot for the first time in history and have the chance to clinch a medal, but will face a tough challenge next, in the semi-finals, where they are due to meet Denmark.

On the other hand, Norway are going home emptyhanded, having started the competition with three wins in a row, but faltered in the closing chapters, conceding three losses and exiting from the eighth place.