GROUP II
H2H: 6-0-7
Top scorers: Domen Novak 9/9 (SLO); Elliði Viðarssonn 8/9 (ISL)
Goalkeepers: Miljan Vujović 13/50; Viktor Hallgrímsson 8/37, Björgvin Páll Gústavsson 0/2 (ISL)
POTM presented by Grundfos: Elliði Viðarssonn (ISL)
- a nip-and-tuck game was on in the first 10 minutes with both goalkeepers — Viktor Hallgrímsson and Miljan Vujović — making important saves to keep it tight
- Iceland were the first ones to grab a comfortable lead, setting 10:7 in the 15h minute, with Bjarki Már Elisson running the fast break and scoring his third
- despite converting only 60 per cent of shots at half-time, Iceland were leading by two; Slovenia were level on few occasions, as Domen Novak led the charge with seven goals — six from penalty shots
- Elliði Viðarssonn and Orri Freyr Þorkelsson were instrumental for Iceland's 26:20 lead 10 minutes into the second half, which proved to be decisive for the end result
- Slovenia never overcame the gap and had to accept their second defeat against Iceland at the EHF EURO in six matches — the last one was in 2002 in Skövde
Iceland's dream came true
Iceland were waiting for a break on the international scene for 16 years and they made their semi-final dream alive with a crucial 39:31 victory over Slovenia in Malmö, securing the final weekend for the first time since their bronze medal campaign at the EHF EURO 2010 — a medal that came after silver at the 2008 Olympic Games. They had everything in their hands ahead of the game with Slovenia — a win would place them in a medal race.
After years of falling short in the latter stages of the competition, the Icelanders delivered when the pressure peaked. The tensions were high throughout the game as Slovenia did not let go easily, however Elliði Viðarssonn, Ómar Ingi Magnússon and Óðinn Ríkharðsson became Icelandic heroes, leading the charge for their sides in crucial moments — they were the best among the 11 Icelandic scorers, netting eighth, and the latter two seven times, respectively.
The match developed into a physical battle of rhythm and resilience, with both sides trading advantages before Iceland turned the tide at the start of the second half. With their last semi-final appearance dating back to 2010, this victory represents a major step in Iceland's resurgence at the European Championship, keeping them firmly in the hunt for a return among the elite — a success they built on winning against Sweden and Slovenia in the main round, a draw against Switzerland and their only defeat at the tournament, against Croatia, after successfully finishing their group phase campaign.
Through this tournament we lose so many energy. If somebody tell me before the tournament that we would be in the position to play last two games for the semi-final I would say ‘don’t make a joke’. But the players deserve this, they play really good, I think that they play modern handball, good defence and quick attack, so I am proud.
I thought we were actually pretty good in all faces of the game, defence and in offence, and also in position. We had a good feeling after the first half, but the scoreboard was only two goals (difference). But we had a really good feeling because we felt like we had good answers for their tactics, and we managed to get better in the second half.
