The 'Hispanics' fall to a serious Denmark

MADRID, 12 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Spanish men's handball team lost (39-31) to Denmark this Wednesday at the start of the EHF EURO Cup 2024, held at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, already thinking about the next match on Saturday against Germany in Jaén.

Spain was unable to beat the current world champion in a tournament in which it is participating for the third consecutive edition and with which it began its preparation for the 2023 World Championship.

The start was even, with Aleix Gómez and Ian Tarrafeta scoring for Jordi Ribera's men and a 6:0 defense working well. Mathias Gidsel -6 goals in the first half- got his act together so that the hosts could find the holes in attack.

Thus, the Danish team escaped (8-4) on the scoreboard, with good actions also from Mikkel Hansen and Rasmus Lauge Schmidt. Denmark enjoyed a high tempo while Adriá Figueras broke the negative Spanish dynamic and, after a brief exchange of blows, two goals from Kauldi Odriozola and Dani Dujshebaev brought the national team closer again (12-9).

The rotation suited Denmark better, and they went away again with a 16-10 lead, prompting the change to 5:1 in the Spanish defence. Álex Dujshebaev tightened the scoring, with a 19-16 lead at halftime. The defense of the world champion was then the protagonist, along with the inexhaustible Landin, in a tough part for Spain (25-18).

Ribera opted for 7 against 6, but the luminous player continued to be Danish, under the pressure of his public in the capital (29-23). Ian Tarrafeta and Álex Dujshebaev were right in attack, as was Ángel Fernández in his 100th game with a precipitous Spain in attack, while the Danes extended the lead (36-27) until the match was sentenced.

DINAMARCA: Landin (p), Nielsen (p), Mortensen (3), Jakobsen (4), Lauge Schmidt (3), Saugstrup (4), Lindberg (3), Gidsel (8), Mensah Larsen, Toft Hansen (1 ), Hansen M. (5), Hansen J., Holm (2), Hald (1), Lassen y Pytlick (5)

SPAIN: Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas (p), Sergey Hernández (p), Jorge Maqueda (1), Ángel Fernández (2), Álex Dujshebaev (4), Adriá Figueras (1), Joan Cañellas (1), Agustín Casado (1 ), Aleix Gómez (2), Aitor Ariño, Gedeón Guardiola (2), Ian Tarrafeta (4), Miguel Sánchez-Migallón (1), Rubén Marchán (2), Dani Dujshebaev (5) and Kauldi Odriozola (5)

--PARTIALS EVERY FIVE MINUTES: 3:3, 7:4, 11:7, 13:9, 17:12, 19:16 -break-; 23:17, 26:19, 29:22, 33:25, 37:28 and 39:31.

--REFEREES: Miljan Vesovic and Novica Mitrovic (Montenegro).

--PAVILLION: Royal Arena in Copenhagen.