Sweden's Men's Handball Team Suffers Narrow Defeat to Spain in European Championship Warm-Up
Sweden's men's handball team lost 34-30 to Spain in a key friendly ahead of the European Championship but showed promising signs in a late comeback despite defensive issues.
- • Sweden lost 34-30 to Spain in a European Championship warm-up friendly in Linköping.
- • Sweden rallied from a seven-goal deficit but defensive weaknesses were evident.
- • Coach Michael Apelgren and player Felix Claar criticized the team's defense.
- • Sweden and Spain will face off again Saturday in Eskilstuna in another friendly match.
Key details
With 79 days remaining until the European Championship opener against the Netherlands in Malmö, Sweden's men's handball team began their preparations with a friendly match against Spain in Linköping, ultimately losing 34-30. Sweden trailed 19-15 at halftime and fell behind by as many as seven goals (19-26) in the second half. However, the team showed resilience, winning a period 7-2 to narrow the gap to just two goals with over two minutes left. Despite the rally, Spain secured the victory.
Key Swedish players Felix Claar and Lukas Sandell led scoring efforts with seven and six goals, respectively, while younger talents Nikola Roganovic and Axel Månsson also contributed. Nonetheless, defensive struggles hampered Sweden's performance. Claar expressed frustration after the first half, stating, "It has been a bit shaky; we haven't managed to get it right in defense. They are getting too many easy goals." Similarly, coach Michael Apelgren criticized the defensive lapses, highlighting issues in preventing easy central plays by Spain and underscoring the challenge of facing Spain's world-class goalkeeper Sergey Hernandez.
Apelgren emphasized the importance of maintaining composure despite the loss, noting, "The important thing is to stick to our fundamental thinking in Swedish handball." The team will have an immediate chance to address these shortcomings when they face Spain again on Saturday in Eskilstuna. Looking ahead, Sweden will play additional friendlies against Brazil on January 5 and 7 as they finalize their lineup ahead of the European Championship, set to run from January 15 to February 1 across Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Apelgren plans to announce his European Championship squad on December 11.
The upcoming rematch with Spain could prove pivotal as the teams may also cross paths later in the tournament, possibly in a semifinal encounter. Sweden's defensive adjustments and continued offensive efforts will be key factors in their prospects for success at the championship in Malmö and beyond.