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January 27, 2025
2025 IHF Men’s World Championship: Quarter-finals schedule revealed
January 28, 2025Norway ended their 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship campaign with a win over Sweden, 29:24, but it was another bittersweet win for the co-hosts. Sweden conceded yet another loss and finished fourth in the group.
MAIN ROUND, GROUP III
Norway vs Sweden 29:24 (16:11)
This Scandinavian derby was supposed to be a true final for a place in the quarter-finals, but the ambitions of both Norway and Sweden were quashed by shocking defeats against Brazil, making this match nothing more but a final for the third place in the group and a place in the top-10 of the final standings.
Sure, it was less than enough for both sides, which had big ambitions, medal ambitions, at the start of the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, but for Norway it was a chance to say goodbye to their fans, which filled the Unity Arena in Baerum, with a third consecutive win in the main round.
Norway’s main issues came in the preliminary round, where they lost against both Brazil and Portugal, but their performance in the main round was solid, securing three wins in three matches, to climb up the ladder, but it was nowhere enough to produce a comeback, due to that loss against Brazil.
The match against Sweden saw Norway display probably their best attacking form against a strong opponent, jumping to an 11:7 lead after only 16 minutes, as their offense fired from all cylinders, while at the back, goalkeeper Torbjorn Bergerud closed up shop, with 16 saves and a 42% saving efficiency.
It was enough for a 16:11 lead at the break, especially as Sweden looked lost, just against Brazil, two days ago, a match centre back Jim Gottfridsson described as “one of the worst, if not the worst, in a Sweden shirt in his career”,
Once again, Sweden had not much to offer in defence, while in attack turnovers were mounting, as Norway had a seven-goal lead at one point, 18:11. Yet after a 5:1 run spurred by a pair of goals from left back Erik Johansson and right wing Sebastian Karlsson, Sweden were back in the match, 20:17, with 20 minutes to go and plenty of time to attempt a comeback.
Norway had found strength through their left back William Otto Aar, who deputised in the place of the injured Sander Sagosen, who scored nine goals. And in the end, Norway clinched a 29:24 win, securing the 10th place in the final standings, while Sweden could not catch another break and were out of the top-10.
hummel Player of the Match: Torbjorn Bergerud (Norway)