Simen Lyse got a close-up look at his future teammates in this crucial Group C battle, as the winner would start the main round with two points already in the bag. In this exciting, hard-fought match, Elohim Prandi, Karl Konan and Wallem Peleka's France prevailed over Norway (38-34). Elo' (four goals) responded to Simen's three goals, allowing Les Bleus to secure a very important victory.
Both teams will have their work cut out for them in a very competitive Group 1, where they will face Germany and Spain, and most likely the reigning world champions Denmark. Guillaume Gille's men nevertheless start with a slight advantage thanks to this victory. They will find out who their first opponent will be tonight, with Denmark, Portugal or North Macedonia all possibilities. Norway will face Spain on 22 January.
It was another duel between Parisian teams, but with different stakes, as Croatia and the Netherlands duked it out for qualification. After their opening defeat to Sweden (31-36), the Dutch, led by a lively Luc Steins (four goals), had to win. But Mateo Maras' Croatia emerged victorious (35-29), securing their place in the main round at the expense of their opponents.
The World Championship runners-up will face Sweden in the final group match on Wednesday 21 January (20:30), while earlier in the evening, the Netherlands will be looking to leave the Euro with their heads held high as they take on Georgia.
Sweden confirmed their place in Group 2, which they will be hosting, with an impressive victory over Georgia in Malmö (38-29) on Monday. Sebastian Karlsson (two goals) and his teammates arrived with high ambitions and got off to a good start in the competition. To secure two points in the main round, Michael Apelgren's men will need to beat Croatia - a side gaining momentum - in what is already shaping up to be an exciting match.