Denmark faced Spain in the indoor arena where the Danes have celebrated both World Championship and European Championship titles in recent years as both nations began their preparations for January’s World Championships with a 28–28 draw in a friendly match.
The performance was inconsistent throughout, and the usually explosive Danish attack, in particular, faltered after the break. Scoring 28 goals marks the lowest tally for Denmark since a World Championship group stage match against the Czech Republic in January 2025.
This was the opening match of the EHF Euro Cup, a four-nation tournament featuring Denmark, Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland. On Sunday, the Danes will play away against Switzerland.
It certainly wasn't a smooth performance by the home side—hardly surprising, given that their last international match took place nearly six months ago.
The Spaniards succeeded in taking the pace out of Denmark’s attacking play, while a somewhat passive Danish defense allowed too many shots from mid-range. Petar Cikusa capitalized on this, until the Danish defense pushed further up the court, providing Emil Nielsen with better conditions in goal.
Trailing 5–8, Nikolaj Jacobsen’s gold-winning squad found their footing. Mathias Gidsel began to exploit small gaps in the Spanish defense, allowing the world champions to take the lead. By halftime, Gidsel had scored seven goals from eight attempts, with Denmark leading 16–13.
After the break, the attacking play once again became a bit too slow against the skilled Spanish defenders. For a long stretch, only a few saves by Emil Nielsen prevented Spain from catching up. Following a scoring drought for Denmark that lasted nearly nine minutes, the visitors leveled the score at 22–22 with 11 minutes remaining.
With just over three minutes left, Spain took a two-goal lead. The Danes managed to respond, and they could have snatched the victory in the final second, but Simon Pytlick’s powerful shot struck the post.
Gidsel finished as Denmark’s leading goalscorer with nine goals.