24 teams became 16, and 16 have become eight. On Tuesday 12 July the 2016 IHF Women’s Junior (U20) World Championship semi-finalists will be determined through four quarter-final matches – all of which have the potential to be thrillers from start to finish. 

The quarter-finals in Sport Palace Dynamo Krylatskoe begin with Norway meeting hosts the Russian Federation, before Croatia take on Romania after both only just won their respective eighth-final matches by one goal. 

In CSKA Palace of Sport, reigning Junior world champions Korea play Germany, and Sweden come up against the current European champions in this age category, Denmark. 

Sport Palace Dynamo Krylatskoe, Tuesday 12 July
Quarter-final 2: Norway vs Russian Federation 18:30 local time

Norway stormed into the quarter-final stage with a 30:23 win against Brazil, while the Russian Federation recorded an even bigger victory at 31:20 in their eighth-final versus Argentina. The stage is set for an exciting showdown between these two strong teams, though the edge belongs with Russia not only as hosts of the tournament, but also considering the strong previous results of this age category. 

This generation of players finished second at the 2015 European championship; the same tournament where Norway placed sixth. It should certainly not be a one-sided match and the Scandinavian side will be able to present a strong challenge to the hosts, but Russia are looking very solid with only wins behind them and increasingly spectacular performances every time they step on the court at this championship. 

Quarter-final 4: Croatia vs Romania 20:45 local time

Both Croatia and Romania come into this match on the back of tough one-goal wins, both of which were secured only in the final 30 seconds of their eighth-finals. Croatia’s came after Paula Posavec took them one in front inside the last minute, before Hungary missed a penalty shot called in the dying seconds of the match – and she and her twin sister Stella will be crucial again as they look to proceed to the semi-finals. 

Stella Posavec is the brains behind Croatia’s attack, and put on one of her best performances yet at Russia 2016 in the win against Hungary. She contributed 11 goals from 11 shots to the victory, which went a significant way toward securing their quarter-final berth. She will undoubtedly be invaluable to her side against Romania as well, who must have been surprised to very nearly lose their eighth-final against Japan, as they recorded just a one-goal win at 32:31. 

Romania also rely on a key back player to lead their offence, with Cristina Laslo the stand-out star at Russia 2016 for her team. She scored seven goals against Japan, including a nine-metre throw after the half-time buzzer. 

Matches played at Sport Palace Dynamo Krylatskoe will be streamed live here. 

CSKA Palace of Sport, Tuesday 12 July
Quarter-final 1: Korea vs Germany, 18:30 local time

Korea and Germany are another two sides who had to play through to the final whistle in order to earn their place in the quarter-finals, though both held the advantage for a substantial part of their eighth-final matches. 

Korea were consistently in the lead against Angola, but had to work to fend off the African side who chased the current Junior world champions through to the final whistle. 

Germany played an evenly-matched contest against the Netherlands to win by just one goal, though they were in control for the final minutes. 

Both teams relied on key scorers in their eighth-final matches, with Jieun Song the top scorer for Korea on 15 and Alina Grijseels adding nine for Germany – though Song has to be taken as the player capable of causing the most trouble in this match given that she has consistently been an exceptional shooter throughout Russia 2016 with upwards of 10 goals in every match. 

Korea will face their usual challenge in coming up against European sides when they take on Germany, as they rely on fast attack and active defence which can run into trouble against strong 6-0. If they can play their game they have a very real chance of recording victory and making it one step closer to the ultimate match on 15 July. 

Quarter-final 3: Sweden vs Denmark 20:45 local time

The Scandinavian derby promises to be a quality contest between two outstanding teams, who finished first and third at the European championship last year. Denmark were the nation to raise the trophy on the final day, while Sweden won the bronze medal – which indicates the high level of competition that can be expected between the two in the quarter-final. 

The teams are well matched with similar styles given their Scandinavian background, which often indicates that a high-quality 60 minutes are about to be played. 

When Denmark and Sweden met at the semi-final stage of the Women’s 19 EHF EURO 2015 Denmark recorded a substantial 28:20 win. That result coupled with the fact that Denmark emerged from the event as European champions means they should be able to defeat Sweden in this game, but not without a fight from their neighbours. 

Matches played at CSKA Palace of Sport will be streamed live here.