The 23rd IHF Women’s World Championship has reached the knock-out stage, with 16 teams ready for the high-pressure eighth-finals, where a loss means immediate elimination. Four eighth-finals will be played in Arena Leipzig, with Hungary taking on 2016 Olympic silver medallists France in the first of the day, before Group B winners Sweden meet Slovenia.

Prior to the eighth-finals, Poland play Angola and Cameroon face Brazil in the first 17-20 play-off matches.  

 

Hungary vs France 17:30 local time

The clashes between second and third-ranked sides in each group are often some of the most thrilling, considering both teams enter the round with a record that includes both wins and losses.

2016 Olympic silver medallists France collected seven points on their path through the preliminary round, ranking second behind Romania in Group A. They opened their campaign with what must be considered something of a surprise loss to Slovenia (23:24), given that Slovenia ranked 14th at the 16-team EHF EURO 2016, where France won the bronze medal. Following that defeat, France took three wins, versus Angola (26:19), Paraguay (35:13) and 2015 World Championship bronze medallists Romania (26:17), as well as one draw, 25:25 against Spain.

Hungary started their Germany 2017 preliminary round with two early defeats at the hands of defending champions Norway (22:30) and Sweden (22:25), before recording three victories – 33:15 against Argentina, 31:28 versus 2015 semi-finalists Poland, and a thrilling 30:29 over Czech Republic. They placed third in Group B with six points.  

Both teams have relied on an all-around effort in their campaigns so far, with no particular stand-out performances from one player alone, apart from the fact that France goalkeeper Cleopatre Darleux is the top-ranked in the competition for her position based on save rate (45%).

France entered the tournament as one of the favourites to appear on the podium, as they did at the two most recent major international championships – the 2016 Olympic Games, where they won a historic silver medal, and the EHF EURO 2016, where they claimed bronze. Hungary have not had such recent success and therefore must be considered the underdog in this encounter, but France have so far not been at the top of their game and need to step up in the knock-out stage if they are to repeat their achievements of the last 18 months.

 

Sweden vs Slovenia 20:30 local time

Both Sweden and Slovenia have pulled off their own surprises at Germany 2017. Slovenia may have ranked fourth in Group A, but there were only two points that separated the top four teams playing in Trier. The team have not qualified for a Women’s World Championship since 2005, yet began their Germany 2017 campaign by upsetting 2016 Olympic runners-up France with a one-goal victory. They lost by three to Romania, defeated Angola 32:25, beat a determined Paraguay 28:22, then lost 22:27 to Spain in Round 5.

Slovenia also boast the top scorer at Germany 2017 – right back Ana Gros, who tallies 39 goals after five matches in the preliminary round. The game against Sweden could be something of a two-player battle, as Gros is so crucial in Slovenia’s game, just as Isabelle Gullden is for the Scandinavian side.

Sweden won the bronze medal at the EHF EURO 2014 under the guidance of Helle Thomsen, who now coaches The Netherlands. Since then, they have not had any major success, ranking ninth at the 2015 World Championship, seventh at the 2016 Olympic Games, and eighth at the home European championship last December. It was therefore quite a surprise that Sweden defeated record title holders Norway in their last preliminary round match to win Group B. In the group phase, they also beat Argentina 38:24, Hungary 25:22 and Czech Republic 36:32, following their opening 30:33 loss to Poland.

It should be an interesting and exciting contest between Sweden and Slovenia to determine the quarter-final place, in a match where it seems anything could happen and neither side is the overwhelming favourite.

 

Angola vs Poland 11:30 local time

The fifth-ranked sides from Groups A and B are both disappointed to find themselves contesting the President’s Cup. As Poland played for medals at the previous World Championship in 2015, where they finished fourth, they certainly hoped for more than places 17-20 at Germany 2017.

Angola showed at the 2016 Olympic Games that they are not a team to underestimate, as they defeated the likes of Romania and Montenegro before being knocked out in the quarter-final by the team that went on to win the gold medal, the Russian Federation.

Considering the quality of both teams, the opening match in Arena Leipzig on December 10 could be quite an exciting 60 minutes.

 

Brazil vs Cameroon 14:00 local time

The second clash of fifth-ranked sides sees two very different teams meeting. Brazil have tasted the ultimate victory, as winners of the 2013 World Championship in Serbia, before placing 10th in 2015. That result was disappointing for the Pan American side, and in 2017, the bitter taste is even worse as they find themselves competing for places 17-20.

For Cameroon, it is only the second World Championship after they contested the 2005 tournament in Russia. The African team have shown remarkable improvement at Germany 2017, and will present a strong physical challenge for Brazil. However, the 2013 world champions have to be considered the favourites in this encounter.