Denmark one step closer to quarter-final

21 Jan. 2021

Denmark one step closer to quarter-final

Title holders Denmark claimed their fourth straight victory at the World Championship, beating Qatar by nine goals.

With six points, the reigning world champions are atop of main round Group II with six points, and a Saturday win against Japan – or possibly even a draw – will secure them a quarter-final spot.

Meanwhile, the chances for Qatar to advance to the next stage are getting slimmer as they remain fourth-placed on two points. 

MAIN ROUND GROUP II
Denmark vs Qatar 32:23 (17:12)

The first ten minutes of the match featured a close fight, with both sides exchanging goals to stay level at 6:6. 

While various players were scoring for Denmark, it was mainly Frankis Marzo and Ameen Zakkar who had contributed for Qatar.

Then, Denmark adjusted to the game and started to dominate thanks to their powerful back court consisting of Mikkel Hansen, Mads Mensah Larsen and the young revelation of the World Championship, Mathias Gidsel, who was elected hummel Player of the Match already for the third time during the World Championship. 

Left wing Magnus Bramming, who recently joined the Scandinavian team, also did a good job, and his goals lifted the European side to a 10:7 lead.

Denmark, who enjoyed an 80 per cent shot efficiency in the first half, gained momentum and scored some spectacular goals to increase the gap to 15:9, before Marzo’s goals helped Qatar to close the gap to 12:16.

Mikkel Hansen then showed his skills, as a direct free throw after the half-time buzzer went straight into the top corner of the Qatar goal to give Denmark a five-goal edge going into the break. 

“We controlled the game in the first 40 minutes and played well in attack, almost without any mistakes. In defence, we had some problems with Marzo, but overall I’m satisfied,” said Denmarks’s coach Nikolaj Jacobsen. 

The half-time lead was not enough for Denmark, who used a 7:2 run early in second half to create a double-digit advantage by minute 40 (24:14).

A bit later, though, the Scandinavians had a lapse of concentration and were unable to score for nine and a half minutes, which saw Qatar cut the deficit to 19:25. Marzo, in particular, had an excellent individual performance, finishing the game on 12 goals, more than half of his team’s tally. 

“We had a bad period in the second half when we were too slow and missed many shots. However, playing seven against six gave us more chances,” said Jacobsen. 

Switching to that tactics, Denmark started to score again, and although Qatar can certainly be given credit for their fighting spirit, the European team claimed a well-deserved victory. 

hummel Player of the Match: Mathias Gidsel, Denmark