When the Danish men’s national handball team meet up on 2 November ahead of the EHF Euro Cup matches against Spain and Switzerland, they will do so with a squad that looks very much like their strongest possible lineup.
A large portion of the squad helped win the European Championship gold in January, but there is also room for a few players who lack experience in major tournaments.
"A great many players from the squad that won the European Championship are included, which naturally indicates who is currently closest to being part of the World Championship team. We haven’t been together for nearly half a year, so there are many things we need to revisit and continue working on," says Nikolaj Jacobsen in a press release.
The first opponent is Spain, whom Denmark will face on 4 November at Jyske Bank Boxen. According to Nikolaj Jacobsen, the Spaniards has made significant progress following the introduction of several new players into the squad.
"Spain impressed me during the European Championship. They have undergone a generational shift and have already come a long way. They have many options in their squad and are capable of adapting during the course of a match. I have great respect for Jordi Ribera and the work he has done, and I believe Spain will be a team that contends for the top spots at the World Championship. They will be an exciting and challenging opponent," says Nikolaj Jacobsen.
Four days later, an away match against Switzerland awaits.
"Switzerland is a solid team that, on their good days, can go toe-to-toe with many strong nations. They aren't at the same level as Spain, but they can challenge us in different ways. For instance, they frequently play with seven attackers against six defenders, which gives us a great opportunity to practice and prepare tactically for that scenario." That suits us really well, says Nikolaj Jacobsen.