Slovenia storm into M18 EHF EURO final with commanding win over Denmark

• Slovenia reached the M18 EHF EURO 2026 final after defeating Denmark 26:17 and will meet Germany in Sunday's gold-medal match (19:30 CEST)
• The victory was Slovenia's seventh in as many matches, making them the only team to enter the final with a perfect record
• Goalkeepers stole the spotlight in the semi-final. Slovenia's Mai Miklavčič and Denmark's Kale Møller who were both named Players of the match
• Fifteen-year-old Gal Rapotec, the youngest player on the court, scored twice and once again showcased the depth of Slovenia's emerging generation
• Slovenia became the first team to hold Denmark below 20 goals at the tournament. The last Slovenian victory over Denmark at M18 EURO level came in 2016
• Denmark, silver medallists at the 2024 M18 EHF EURO, will now face Spain in Sunday's bronze-medal match.
• The bronze-medal match is scheduled for 17:00 CEST, while the final throws off at 19:30 CEST, with both games taking place at Aleksandar Nikolić Hall in Belgrade

SEMI-FINAL

Denmark vs Slovenia 17:26 (10:11)

Top scorers: Luka Kresal 5/14 (SLO), Lukas Laursen 4/6 (DEN)
Players of the Match: Mai Miklavčič (SLO), Kale Møller (DEN)

Both teams arrived in the semi-finals unbeaten, but after an evenly contested opening half, Slovenia completely took control after the break. Slovenia made a better start, with Erčulj and Ajšič helping their side edge ahead 3:2. Denmark soon settled into their attacking rhythm. Lukas Laursen converted all three of his first-half attempts to lead the Scandinavian side to a 6:4 advantage after 14 minutes. The momentum shifted before half-time. Slovenia responded with a 4:0 run, fuelled by goalkeeper Kamenica, who denied Denmark from the seven-metre line twice. The defensive resilience allowed Marko Šibila's team to overturn the deficit and head into the dressing room with a narrow 11:10 lead.

At the beginning of the second half, Slovenia raised the intensity at both ends of the court, limiting Denmark to just five goals during a decisive 15-minute spell. Luka Kresal led the attack as Slovenia gradually pulled away, opening up a six-goal cushion by the 46th minute. Denmark attempted to turn the tide by switching to a seven-on-six attack, but Slovenia had the perfect answer in goal. Mai Miklavčič produced save after save to frustrate the Danish offence. The final whistle confirmed a dominant 26:17 victory, extending Slovenia's unbeaten run to seven matches and sending them into the M18 EHF EURO 2026 final, where they will face Germany for the European title.

All images: Maja Nastic / RSS