Sweden's men's handball team came from behind to win 35-31 against Slovenia in the EM main round in Malmö, putting them top of group 2 with four straight victories. The match was a key test after a slow start, but a strong second half secured the points. Next up is Iceland on Sunday.
Sweden's men's handball team secured a crucial victory over Slovenia, 35-31, in the first main round match of the EM, played in Malmö arena before about 7,745 spectators. The game started slowly for Sweden, who scored just one goal in the first eight minutes, trailing 15-13 at halftime thanks to Slovenia's efficient play and goalkeeper Joze Baznik's saves. Andreas Palicka delivered standout performance in Sweden's goal during the first half, but it wasn't enough to avoid the deficit.
In the second half, head coach Michael Apelgren brought in Mikael Appelgren in goal, who made several consecutive saves. Sweden took the lead for the first time after 34 minutes, 16-15, and never relinquished it. Hampus Wanne scored five goals in the first half, while young star Nikola Roganovic from HK Malmö had limited playing time but confidently converted penalties. Felix Claar commented on the turnaround: "It didn't feel great at halftime. It felt like we came out with a whole different drive in the second. We countered in the second half."
The win gives Sweden four points and sole leadership in group 2, following Croatia's earlier victory over Iceland that day. The group also includes Hungary and Switzerland. Upcoming matches are Iceland on Sunday at 18:00, Hungary on Tuesday at 20:30, and Switzerland on Wednesday at 20:30. The top two teams advance to the semifinals in Herning, Denmark, next Friday.
Before the match, handball icon Per Carlén, battling cancer, was honored with a standing ovation in the arena. Carlén was emotional: "Fantastic. It's tough, it's tough." Claar looks ahead to the Iceland clash: "We must have a good gameplan to go on then."
