Women's EHF EURO line-up complete after action-packed Sunday

Serbia, Ukraine, Czechia, Iceland, Slovenia and Poland finished second in their groups, while Türkiye, Slovakia, Portugal and the Faroe Islands became the best third-placed teams. These teams join the 10 sides who had already advanced to the final tournament, plus pre-qualified hosts Austria, Hungary and Switzerland, and defending champions Norway.

• for Türkiye and the Faroe Islands, it will be a debut at the EHF EURO, while Portugal make their return after a 16-year break
• Slovakia earned a crucial point (25;25) in the match against Ukraine, as both sides reached the final tournament in the end
• in the Highlight Match, Serbia proved too strong for Türkiye in group 6, 29:22, and secured their ticket to the final tournament
• France became the only team to hit the 50-goal mark on Sunday, as they beat Latvia 53:9
• the already qualified Romania, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Montenegro and Sweden took their sixth wins, ending the qualifiers with a 100 per cent record
• buy your tickets for the final tournament here

GROUP 1

Romania vs Greece 31:24 (14:14)

Romania had already booked their ticket to the EHF EURO 2024, while Greece had a lot to fight for in their last group match. And in the first half, the visitors led for a long time before the rivals were tied at 14:14 at the break. The fight was still tight just after the restart, but the Romanians boasted a 10:1 run between minutes 43 and 55, removing all questions. The defeat left the Greeks heart-broken, as they failed to become one of the best third-placed teams and therefore will miss the final tournament.

Croatia vs Bosnia and Herzegovina 33:19 (17:8)

Regardless of the match result, Croatia were certain to finish second in the group, while Bosnia and Herzegovina would have stayed fourth in any case. The Croatians were seen as favourites in the Balkan derby, and they won it by 14 goals, while the Bosnians ended the group with no points. Goalkeeper Lucija Besen played a key role for the winning team, saving 16 shots (48.5 per cent efficiency).

GROUP 2

Germany vs Israel 46:9 (23:4)

It was the second match of the double-header in Heidelberg, and Germany clearly won both times. In the first ever encounter between the two teams on Sunday, they took a 35:12 victory, and on the next day, the team coached by Markus Gaugisch took their biggest win in history. The difference between the rivals was huge already after 30 minutes, as Germany led by 17 goals, and they did not slow down afterwards, maintaining a 100 per cent record in the qualifiers.

Slovakia vs Ukraine 25:25 (15:13)

The draw proved to be a result which ultimately made both sides happy. Ukraine finished second in the group with seven points and qualified for their first EHF EURO since 2014. And Slovakia earned a point which allowed them to become one of the best third-placed teams and also book their ticket to the final tournament. Led by Barbora Lancz, who became the top scorer with 10 goals, the Slovaks were dominant for much of the game, with their lead reaching five goals. However, Ukraine levelled in the closing minutes, and Liliia Horilska's goal five seconds from full-time secured them a draw.

GROUP 3

Netherlands vs Finland 35:22 (14:15)

The Dutch could afford to rest all their key players for the match, but they had enough depth in their squad to beat the last-placed Finland even with a young ‘B’ team. However, they had a slow start, allowing the Finns to lead 4:0 and later 10:4. At the break, the visitors were still in front, but Netherlands made an impressive comeback in the second half, with Alieke van Maurik becoming their leading scorer with seven goals.

Czechia vs Portugal 25:22 (10:13)

Portugal needed a win by five or more goals to overhaul Czechia and finish second in the group, and in the 25th minute, they seemed to be on the way to such a victory, leading 13:6. However, Czechia ended the half with a 4:0 run and continued their chase after the restart. The pendulum swung, but the home team had the upper hand in the final 10 minutes, which allowed them to win. However, Portugal also reached the final tournament, becoming one of the best third-placed teams on a goal difference, and it will be actually their second EHF EURO in history after 2008.

GROUP 4

Slovenia vs Italy 35:21 (22:11)

Italy needed a big win by 15 goals to finish second in the group, but Slovenia denied them any possible chances. Led by Tamara Mavsar, who scored eight goals in this game, the Balkan team were dominant throughout the match. A well-deserved victory helped the Slovenians to stay in the second position and qualify for the EHF EURO for the fifth straight time, while the Italians are yet to make their debut at this level.

France vs Latvia 53:9 (24:7)

The French side, who had already qualified for the EHF EURO 2024, had no problems keeping a perfect record in the group. They not just took a commanding win against Latvia, but became the only team to hit the 50-goal mark on Sunday. Pauline Coatanea scored 10 goals from 10 attempts, while goalkeepers Hatadou Sako and Laura Glauser boasted a 87 and 59 per cent save rate respectively.

GROUP 5

North Macedonia vs Lithuania 34:24 (18:12)

North Macedonia had been certain of second position in the group before this match, but they did not relax their approach, beating Lithuania by 10 goals. Lithuania's Ausra Arcisevskaja became the top scorer with 10 goals, but the Macedonians were better as a team. Despite the defeat, the Lithuanians finish third, but they failed to qualify for the EHF EURO.

Spain vs Azerbaijan 42:16 (20:8)

Spain, who are unbeaten at home in the EHF EURO Qualifiers since 2022, maintained their perfect record in the group. Their rivals from Azerbaijan had a mathematical chance to climb up to the third position in case of a win in Porrino, but the difference in quality between the teams was too big. Paulina Pérez scored eight times for Spain, while goalkeepers Mercedes Castellanos and Nicole Wiggins made 17 saves combined as the home team cruised to a 26-goal win.

GROUP 6

Highlight Match: Serbia vs Türkiye 30:22 (14:10)

Both teams were level on five points before the game, so the winner was certain to claim second position and therefore a EHF EURO 2024 berth. The Turkish team hoped to upset Serbia in Zrenjanin, but it was the home team who were dominant throughout almost the entire game. Midway through the first half, the sides were tied at 6:6, but then Serbia enjoyed a 6:1 run to pull clear. The Balkan side maintained their advantage and constantly punished Türkiye for their mistakes. Andjela Janjusevic and Dunja Radevic both scored seven goals, while Jovana Risovic boasted 10 saves (34.5 per cent). However, Türkiye also qualified as one of the best third-placed teams, thanks to a 29:29 draw in the reverse fixture against Serbia.

Montenegro vs Bulgaria 35:17 (17:11)

Montenegro celebrated their sixth consecutive win in the qualifiers, thus maintaining a perfect record in the group. In contrast, Bulgaria have no points and finish last. Montenegro took early control of the game, leading 6:2 in the eighth minute, and they went on to confirm their superiority afterwards. Jelena Despotovic became their best scorer with seven goals – a bigger tally than the entire Bulgarian team scored after the break.

GROUP 7

Sweden vs Luxembourg 47:18 (24:7)

While Sweden had secured their participation at the EHF EURO 2024 before this match, Luxembourg were certain to finish bottom of the group. And the Nordic side ended the qualifiers with a perfect record, leaving their rivals no chances. Their goalkeeper Irma Schjött boasted a 47 per cent save rate, while 12 of her teammates netted at least once in this one-sided game.

Iceland vs Faroe Islands 24:20 (12:8)

The Faroe Islands needed to win by at least six goals to leapfrog their rivals in the table and finish second. They had some hopes early in the match, leading 6:4 midway through the first half, but Iceland then enjoyed a 4:0 run and never gave up their advantage afterwards. The home side could rely on a solid goalkeeping, as Elin Jona Thorsteinsdottir had a 42 per cent save efficiency (14 saves). But although the Faroese lost, they also progressed to the final stage as one of the best third-placed teams, so they will make a historic debut at the EHF EURO.

GROUP 8

Poland vs Kosovo 28:17 (15:9)

Poland easily stayed second in the group, beating Kosovo for the second time this week. While the Polish side had won by seven goals in Prishtina (34:27), now they claimed a slightly bigger victory on home court in Zielona Gora, 28:19. A total of 13 Polish players scored at least once, with Magda Balsam leading the way with nine goals. Kosovo stayed third with no points and failed to reach the EHF EURO 2024.