Opinions

EHF FINAL4 SEMI-FINAL: Barça vs HBC Nantes 31:26 (15:13) By Chris O’Reilly There was no shock result in the second semi-final on Saturday evening in Cologne as Barça held their nerve through a tense middle phase of the second half to break clear and claim a spot in the final against Aalborg. Here are the ratings for all players involved …

Olympic Qualification Tournament – Podgorica Montenegro vs Romania 25:28 (15:15) By Chris O’Reilly Montenegro are off to Tokyo this summer, despite losing to Romania on Sunday. In a match where the home side looked certain to win, they suffered a ludicrous collapse in the final five minutes before escaping with a three-goal loss, while Romania were left to rue wasted …

Olympic Qualification Tournament – Berlin Germany vs Slovenia 36:27 (22:12) By Chris O’Reilly Germany all but assured they will be heading to Tokyo this summer with a brilliant victory over Slovenia on Saturday, displaying both physical and tactical dominance. Here are the ratings for all players involved in the match and the two head coaches, with everyone rated on a …

By Chris O’Reilly FINAL: Denmark vs Sweden 26:24 (13:13) A nervy and occasionally scrappy Scandinavian derby was decided by experienced heads and a few moments of inspiration as Denmark successfully retained their World Championship crown with a two-goal win over Sweden. Here are the ratings for all players involved in the match and the two head coaches, with everyone rated …

By Chris O’Reilly Denmark booked their spot in the Egypt 2021 final and a date with Scandi neighbours Sweden on Sunday. They were pushed all the way in their 35:33 win by a Spanish side who never knew when they were beaten. Here are the ratings for all players involved in the match and the two head coaches, with everyone …

By Chris O’Reilly This quarter-final was the most anticipated of Wednesday’s quartet but it turned out to be a bit of an anti-climax as the star attraction limped off early and Spain’s wonderful first half performance gave them enough breathing space to progress to the semi-final against Denmark at a canter, winning 31:26. Here are the ratings for all players …

By Chris O’Reilly Hungary booked their spot in the quarter-finals of Egypt 2021 with a convincing 30:26 victory over Poland on Saturday. The game was practically won in the first half, allowing Hungary to conserve their energy for a group final against Spain on Monday. Here are the ratings for all players involved in the match and the two head …

By Chris O’Reilly An intriguing and at times exciting Friday night clash saw Slovenia and Sweden play out a 28:28 draw as Slovenia twice clawed their way back from significant deficits to claim a point. The result keeps Slovenia’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive while Sweden now top the group with one round left to play. Here are the …