Norway extended their winning streak at Poland/Sweden 2023 to four wins in a row after a superb comeback in their first main round match in Katowice, delivering a huge blow to Serbia's chances of a quarter-final berth with a 31:28 win.

Main Round Group III

Norway vs Serbia 31:28 (14:17)

It was the last-chance saloon for Serbia, as a loss against Norway on Thursday evening in the Spodek Arena in Katowice would have seen them virtually eliminated from contention for a quarter-finals berth. But tough as nails, Serbia would not give up without a fight, especially as coach Toni Gerona created a tight unit which plays every match as if it were their last.

This is why it was no surprise that Serbia had a strong start to the match, with left back Petar Đorđić catapulting three powerful shots in the top corner in quick succession over a four-minute span between the sixth and tenth minutes, helping his side to take an early 7:5 lead.

In fact, in attack, Serbia relied heavily on their back line, who scored 10 of their 17 goals in the first half, with right backs Miloš Orbović and Jovica Nikolić combining for six goals and Norway struggling to find any answers to block them. But the decisive factor was goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev.

Milosavljev missed Serbia's first two matches due to an injury he was only recently cleared of. Making his debut against Qatar, the 26-year-old shot-stopper had an excellent second half. But it was nothing compared to his antics in the match against Norway, where he finished the first half with eight saves for a 36% saving efficiency, including four one-on-one saves.

That meant Norway had to mount a comeback in the second half, which they started three goals down (17:14). As back Sander Sagosen failed to register a shot, dishing four assists, it was clear that something was off in Norway's attack and they had only 30 minutes to bounce back.

This is where experience comes in. Usually, teams contending for trophies have it in spades. And Norway – albeit with a few changes in the last few years – reached the final at the 2017 and 2019 editions of the IHF Men's World Championship. They had an ace up their sleeve.

His name? Sander Sagosen. Back on the court only recently after eight months of absence due to an Achilles injury, Sagosen stole the show in the second half, morphing from a facilitator – he had four assists in the first half – into the cold-blooded finisher.

With ice in his veins, Norway displayed 100% efficiency in attack, scoring five goals from five shots. It was the signal that everything clicked and Norway were back in it. What happened was that Norway got back their mojo, Serbia lost theirs and it was as good as game over for Toni Gerona's side.

Between the 37th and 54th minutes, Norway went on an otherworldly 13:4 run, preventing Serbia's powerful attack from shining like it did in the first half. In total, Serbia only scored 10 goals in the second part. And it was also due to a crucial change made by an inspired Jonas Wille, who ushered back Torbjørn Bergerud between the posts.

Bergerud, who did not save any of the first 10 shots he faced on goal, started to stop Serbia's attack, expertly protected by a strong defensive unit anchored by Christian O'Sullivan and Gøran Johanessen, the "hummel Player of the Match", in the centre. And Norway thrived with it, constantly denying Serbia clear-cut chances.

In the end, what made Serbia great in the first half really hit them in the second part, with the efficiency of the back line dwindling and few answers via their wings and their line player. It was a true collapse, but it was also an excellent performance from Norway, who played the part of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in this match.

Norway's 31:28 win helped them cement their place among the top two sides in the group standings, tying Germany on six points, with the Netherlands following in third place with only four points. With a clash against Qatar following, Norway can seal their fifth win in a row in the competition and edge closer to qualification on Saturday, being heavily favoured against the Asian champions.

On the other side, Serbia's chances of progressing are only virtual, as their losses against Germany and Norway severely hamper their future in the championship. There are lessons to be learned by Serbia, and it is more about their experience rather than the core of players who look sharp.

hummel Player of the Match: Gøran Johannessen (Norway)