The day after the heavy loss to Iceland (27–35), the blue-and-yellow national team had clearly calmed down and could see that the situation was not so bad after all.
Iceland, Sweden, Slovenia and Croatia all have four points in the fight for the two semi-final spots from the intermediate round in Malmö.
But as long as Sweden does its job - and beats the bottom teams in the group, Hungary and Switzerland - and, thanks to head-to-head results, they don't need to worry about what their rivals do.
It's nice to be able to focus on ourselves and not think about what happens if things go this way or that in the other matches. The way we've played in the European Championship up until yesterday, we've deserved it, says Hampus Wanne.
Tenth championship
The 32-year-old winger is playing his tenth championship for Sweden and has had an unusual tournament so far. On the one hand, he has received an unusually large amount of playing time after first Lucas Pellas and then his intended replacement Jerry Tollbring were sidelined by injury. On the other hand, the Swedish winger was almost non-existent in the first three matches.
As a winger you have to learn to deal with it. Some games there can be very little, other times very much. So we on the wings have to think a little differently. Then we don't have as much contact in defense, but we have other little things that you might not really see if you don't have a trained eye. So you're involved all the time, says Wanne.
Isn't it frustrating when it's like that at the beginning of the European Championship?
Yes, yes. Of course you want to be there. But it changes so quickly. One game it might be zero, the next game five goals in the first quarter.
“Must keep believing”
Wanne has been more involved - and 100% efficient - in the last two matches. He scored five of five against Slovenia and three of three against Iceland.
In Tuesday night's match against Hungary, he hopes for more chances, but it's all the more important that Sweden bounces back after the loss to Iceland.
We have to continue to believe in what we have built. Just because we got a big blow now doesn't mean we have to do everything over again. I think every nation in the European Championship has lost at least one match now, that says a lot about European handball today.
Four teams are on four points heading into the end of the intermediate round in Malmö. The top two will play in the European Championship semi-final in Herning, Denmark, on Friday.
If two or more teams end up level on points, head-to-head results will decide.
- Iceland 4 points (+8 goal difference).
Head-to-head results: 29–30 against Croatia, 33–25 against Sweden.
Remaining opponents: Switzerland (Tuesday) and Slovenia (Wednesday).
Conditions: Guaranteed to advance to the semifinals if they win their two remaining matches.
- Sweden 4 points (+4).
Head-to-head results: 33–25 against Croatia, 35–31 against Slovenia, 27–35 against Iceland.
Remaining opponents: Hungary (Tuesday) and Switzerland (Wednesday).
Conditions: Guaranteed to advance to the semifinals if they win their two remaining matches.
- Slovenia 4 points (+2).
Head-to-head result: 31–35 against Sweden.
Remaining opponents: Croatia (Tuesday) and Iceland (Wednesday).
Conditions: Guaranteed to advance to the semifinals if they win their two remaining matches.
- Croatia 4 points (–3).
Head-to-head results: 25–33 against Sweden, 30–29 against Iceland.
Remaining opponents: Slovenia (Tuesday) and Hungary (Wednesday).
Conditions: Two more wins are not necessarily enough. If Croatia, Iceland and Sweden all end up on eight points, Iceland and Sweden will advance thanks to their respective results - while Croatia will be eliminated.
