GROUP 1
North Macedonia vs Türkiye 30:27 (15:15)
Türkiye were always facing a difficult challenge to progress to the EHF EURO, as even a win would not have ensured safe passage to the final tournament, but they did deliver an excellent game, taking North Macedonia all the way until the last ten minutes. As coach Kiril Lazarov tried new players in his side, Türkiye led by four goals with 16 minutes left, 24:20, but could only score three more times during the game, enabling a North Macedonia comeback. Despite finishing third, Türkiye could not seal their place to the final tournament, now having to wait two more years.
Portugal vs Luxembourg 36:18 (18:8)
It was a no-nonsense win for Portugal, which sealed first place in the group, winning six out of six for the first time in the EHF EURO Qualifiers. With new players ushered into the squad by coach Paulo Pereira, Portugal pulled no stops and delighted their fans with the same brand of fast-paced handball, with all players getting their minutes on the court. Starting the EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers with the largest winning streak set at four games, Portugal extended it now to eight games, underlining their huge potential, even as they sat several stars as Francisco and Martim Mota da Costa in the last two games of the group against Türkiye and Luxembourg.
