After the draw event for Germany 2017 earlier this year, Argentinean media called Preliminary Group B the “group of death” such was the strength they were set to face in opponents Sweden, Norway, Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland – and this statement was not misguided as it has proved to be very true.

It could be possible that by the end of today, as Germany 2017 waves goodbye to Magdeburg, that three of the six teams from that preliminary group make up the semi-final teams.

Group B alumni include Poland, who won the President’s Cup, to finish 17th, Sweden, who are now in the semi-finals and now Norway and Czech Republic who play their quarter-final matches today in Magdeburg.

The first clash at the GETEC-Arena will see the unpredictable Netherlands team take on Czech Republic – in unchartered territory – while Olympic Gold medallists Russia take on World Championship holders Norway in the late match.

Tickets are still available for both matches in Magdeburg, fans can buy them by using the official Germany 2017 ticket line HERE.

QUARTER-FINALS
GETEC-Arena, Magdeburg

Netherlands vs Czech Republic 17:30 local time

An indifferent start to their campaign saw 2015 IHF Women’s World Championship silver medallists Netherlands lose to Korea and draw against Serbia in their preliminary round campaign, before scraping through against Japan after overtime in the eighth-finals.

“It’s great when we have a tournament where all the teams are beating each other,” said Netherlands coach Helle Thomsen after their last 16 win against the Asian side. “Every team knows that when you qualify through from the groups you have to play well otherwise you are out so its difficult for our teams - you play one bad game and then go home.”

Go home they nearly did against Japan, but the performance as well as the result may be the boost that the side in orange need to play at the level they did two years ago. “The Czech side play strong as a team and are good together, it will be a hard game,” added Thomsen about Jan Basny’s side who, along with Japan, could be called one of the surprise packages of Germany 2017.

Basny’s biggest challenge to overcome with his players may be a mental one though as he tries to get his squad of 16 focussed on their clash with Thomsen’s side following their last-second victory over Romania in their eighth-final, to qualify the nation for their first-ever senior world championship quarter-final.

“Everybody is shocked, but in a positive way,” said the leader of the Czech team Iveta Luzumova, who supplied the pass to Michaela Hrbkova in the last second for the winning goal. “We have never been in a quarter-final before and we will enjoy every second of it.”

Czech Republic have the dual scoring threat of Marketa Jerabkova and Luzumova, both on 36 goals, in joint 13th place in the Germany 2017 charts, while Lois Abbingh has 32 strikes to her name to lead Netherlands, lying 20th overall.

To highlight the influence and power of Luzumova, she is third overall in the assists chart (31) and fourth in the steals chart, with seven.

Norway vs Russia 20:30 local time

Date: Thursday 18 August 2016. Location: Future Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Event: Norway vs Russia Rio 2016 Olympic Games semi-final. Evegeny Trefilov’s Russia side manage to overcome Thorir Hergeirsson’s Norway team after overtime (38:37) with the score after 60 minutes all square at 31:31 and go on their way to a gold medal. Norway get bronze in their 3/4 placement match.

Revenge is often talked about in sport and 10 of that losing Norwegian side are set to face Russia again tonight, hoping to avenge that defeat a little. For Russia, just five players remain from that Rio side in their 16 at Germany 2017 as they rebuild in the new Olympic cycle.

But Trefilov’s new team construction has been impressive. Russia were the only team to win all five of their preliminary round matches, and thus the only team left at Germany 2017 to have won all their games - a formidable test for the Norwegians who have looked impressive, bar a neighbourly loss against Sweden in Preliminary Group B.

Despite their dominance, Trefilov admitted that there were still things his side had to work on in their narrow overtime win against Korea in the eighth-finals. “We made lots of mistakes and we have lots to work on,” he said.

“The result could have been opposite against Korea, it was not good for us. They shot too many times against us and the semi-final will be a very hard game.”

For Norway coach, Hergeirsson, he immediately switched his attention to Russia, after his side easily beat Spain in their eighth-final match up. “We have to prepare for our game against Russia and have to recover fast in this Championship of travelling.”

Nora Mork, on 42 goals is set to lead the Germany 2017 scoring charts after the match tonight whatever the result, as current leader Karolina Kudlacz-Gloc (44 goals) has already gone home with Poland. Russia’s top-scorer is Daria Samokhina with 31 strikes.

Norway’s Stine Oftedal leads the assists chart of Germany 2017 with 32, closely followed by teammate Veronica Kristiansen (25). Stine Skogrand is second in steals (8).

In what is sure to be a strong defensive encounter, Norway’s Katrine Lunde currently leads the goalkeeping charts with a 43% save rate overall (67 saves from 155 shots), but the Russian defence is strong with Kseniia Makeeva second in the blocked shot table with 13, although Norway’s Kari Brattset is in fourth, with 10.