Denmark outclass Croatia and send Qatar into quarter-finals

Argentina’s defeat to Qatar earlier today had been good news for Croatia, who needed a win against Denmark to reach the quarter-final – provided Qatar beat Argentina.

However, the defending champions, who had already secured the top position in main round Group II, proved too strong for the Balkan side, who now are out of title contention. 

Denmark’s win was great news for Qatar, who finished second in the group and will face Sweden in the quarter-finals, while the title holders are set to play Egypt. 

MAIN ROUND GROUP II
Denmark vs Croatia 38:26 (17:15)

The motivated Croatian team enjoyed a good start of the match – by the 12th minute, they were in front 6:4, as Ivan Pesic made several saves and Marko Mamic was crucial in attack. 

The Balkan team could not keep the same pace for a long time, though. The title holders woke up and grabbed the initiative, taking their first lead (8:7) after Jacob Holm scored two goals in a row.

Denmark played without Mikkel Hansen and Lasse Svan, but just like in the previous match against Japan, the young Emil Jakobsen stepped up to become a key figure in the Danish attack. In the first half, his five goals – including three from the 7m line – inspired the Scandinavians to a two-goal lead.

While Croatia were looking to fight back, it was Denmark who totally dominated after the break. Just like two days before against Argentina, Lino Cervar’s men looked unsettled, and they needed eight minutes to score their first goal in the second half. 

“We made many technical mistakes and missed our shots, and Denmark are very good in fast breaks. After six or seven minutes into the second half, the game was finished,” Croatia’s assistant coach Hrvoje Horvat said. 

“Since the opening match against Japan, we were not at the level we are used to. We are very disappointed. On a scale from one to 10, I think we deserve only a two.”

Nikolaj Jacobsen’s team, who did not feel any pressure, gained momentum and continued racking up goals, with their advantage reaching double digits at 27:17 already by minute 42.

The game was decided long before the final buzzer, but Denmark did not slow down and recorded their sixth straight win in the competition in style. And Croatia, who had a poor 54 per cent shot efficiency in this match, leave the World Championship devastated. 

hummel Player of the Match: Emil Jakobsen, Denmark