EHF Under20 Championship - European Hattrick Federation

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23.2.2021 Round 6 Review

Last Friday the matches from the 6th round of the U20 European Cup have been played and it's time for the weekly summary.

Group A
In group A Russia kept their top spot after beating San Marino at home with 7-1 extending their winning run to 3 wins in a row. Elsewhere Germany recorded a second win in a row after beating the 5th placed Liechtenstein with 2-0. The final match from the group was a bit controversial for the home fans as their team Ireland has lost from Scotland. Although the hosts got an early lead in the 6th minute, Scotland managed to equalize in the 9th minute and later they turned the game around recording a 3-1 win against their opponents. A match where the replay analysis suggested a 64% possibility for an Irish victory and only 23% for a win for Scotland. With that result Ireland are down to fourth as Germany and Scotland overtake them. All four teams have almost secured their places for the World Cup and now the race for the first place is about to get very interesting in the group.

Group B
Moving on to group B, where the hosts of the final stage of the tournament Sweden lost in front of their own fans from Italy with 3-0. With that defeat they're now 4 points behind Serbia, who have dropped to fourth after they were defeated by England at home. An important win for England as they keep Italy in sight for the first place with only one point separating both teams. In the last match from the group Albania recorded another important victory against bottom placed Northern Ireland. With those three points they're now up to third and 5 points above the line, but with some difficult upcoming fixtures for Albania, they must keep their feet on the ground in order to secure their place at the World Cup.

Group C
Next up is group C where we have a new leader. Finland are now on the top spot after they've defeated Wales at home with 4-1. Wales are one of the four teams that haven't won a game so far in the tournament along with Northern Ireland, Liechtenstein and San Marino. Finland actually share the top spot with Estonia, who defeated Croatia away from home with 1-0. It's now a third game without a win for Croatia with a draw and two defeats in the last three and they're now down to third. In the last match Belgium finally managed to record a victory in the tournament after winning 3-1 against Poland away from home. A result that very few might have expected and now Belgium are only three points below the line with four games to go.

Group D
In group D things remain unchanged in the tables, however we've witnessed very surprising results this round. There was no winner in the game between Romania and Slovenia as the visitors might feel they've lost the chance to get three points after they were in the lead but conceded an equalizer in the 77th minute. In the other two matches the scores were even more surprising. Montenegro managed to defeat Portugal with 1-0 at home and Cyprus won their match against the Czech republic with 2-1 at home. The replay analysis for both matches are shocking, showing 11% chance for a win for Montenegro and 7% chance for a Cyprus victory. At the end both Portugal and the Czech republic missed a chance to get advantage over the others as the race for the first place continues. Montenegro and Cyprus remain level on points and are now just a point behind the 4th placed Slovenia, so the race for the top 4 is on as well.

Group E
In group E Spain continued their unbeaten run but won only a point at home against N. Macedonia. Despite the draw Spain extended their lead into two points in front of Turkey, who failed to win against Latvia allowing them to record their first win for the competition. In the last match from the group there was no winner between Norway and Malta as the game finished 2-2. This now means that there are no changes in the table, but the gap between the 4th placed N. Macedonia and Latvia is now only one point and there is everything to play for in the remaining four matches from the competition. Turkey missed their chance to get on top of the group and although they're on the second place they're only 4 points above the line. However this Friday they have a head-to-head match against Spain so another chance to climb to the first place if they manage to defeat Spain.

Group F
In group F we saw the lowest scoring round of all groups. Only 4 goals across the three matches as we saw a win for a home team, a win for an away team and a draw. Similar to group D here we have the two bottom placed teams getting victories in this round. Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Slovakia with 2-1 and Luxembourg won against Hungary with 1-0 in a match where only 18% of the replays went in Luxembourg's favor. After that defeat Hungary are down to third as Moldova overtakes them after another draw against the leaders from France. France are the second undefeated team in the competition so far and are sitting comfortably on the top spot with a three point gap between them and the second placed team Moldova. After the good results for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Luxembourg there is now hope for them that they can make it into the top 4, but still they're three points below the line and I'm sure they'll be fighting until the end for those top 4 spots.

Group G
In group G Faroe Islands failed to extend their lead at the top of the table by only drawing their match against Austria. An important point for the Austrians although they've dropped down to fifth, still they're only a point behind the 4th placed Iceland, who managed to defeat Lithuania at home with 3-1. A result that was a bit surprising when you look at the replay analysis which show that Lithuania deserved to get the three points in the match, however they remain on the bottom of the group and are now three points below the line. In the last match from the group Greece recorded a second defeat in a row and are now down to third. Andorra who managed to defeat them this round are taking their second place and are now level on points with Greece and 3 behind Faroe Islands.

Group H
The final group H Denmark managed to get a bit of a surprising win against Bulgaria according to the replay analysis. With those three points they climb up to the top spot with 11 points and a point ahead of the former leaders Ukraine, who were defeated by the Netherlands with 0-2. As the Netherlands did the double against Ukraine they're now two points below the line that will get them to the World Cup and have overtaken Switzerland in the standings. Bulgaria also dropped to fourth after the defeat from Denmark and Belarus are now taking the third spot after winning against Switzerland away from home with a 2-1 result. The gap between the first and the sixth team in the group is only 5 points and it's still the smallest gap of all groups in the tournament, which makes things in the group extremely interesting and nothing can be taken for granted.

19.2.2021 Round 6 Preview

We're halfway through the group stage as teams start to face each other for the second time in the group stage. It's time for the Round 6 preview.

Group A
Starting off with group A, where we have the worst team in terms of average hatstats San Marino travelling Russia, who are currently sitting on the first place in the group. The World Champions Germany have another easy match at least on paper as they travel to Liechtenstein. A win in Liechtenstein for Germany will put some pressure on Russia for the first place. In the last match of the group Scotland are visiting Ireland hoping for a rematch after the 0-2 defeat they recorded in the first round. Both teams don't have to worry about their World Cup places, but with this game we'll see what their ambitions are. The winner will have a place in the top 3 and will have a bigger chance of making it to the knockout stage.

Group B
In group B the hosts of the final stage of the tournament are in a very difficult situation two points below the line for a World Cup qualification and now they're facing the group leaders Italy at home. The Swedes managed to get a 2-2 draw in the first round in Italy and now tonight's match is a must-win for Sweden if they want to play in the World Cup. Elsewhere England who are second just a point behind Italy are visiting the third luckiest team in the whole competition - Serbia, who are also level on points with England. Last time England got a a 3-2 win against their opponents at home, but Serbia have won all two of their home matches so far and if the match engine is again on their side tonight, it's going to be a difficult match for England. The last match from the group sees Albania travelling to Northern Ireland, who are bottom of the group with very slim chances of making it to the World Cup. It's a must win game for Albania as they would like to secure top 4 at the end of the group stage and they'll be looking for a better result than the goalless draw in the first round.

Group C
Moving on to group C, where the group leaders and also third ranked in terms of average hatstats Croatia are welcoming Estonia. Still five points above the line, but I'm sure Estonia will give their best to get some extra points that will secure them the top 4 finish. Elsewhere tournament top scorer Mikko Sarlund (6) and his team Finland are welcoming Wales, who are still struggling for results and are just a point above bottom placed team from Belgium. Speaking of which, Belgiuam are travelling to Poland, but their head coach doesn't have high hopes about the game. Still he admitted that they'll try to steal some points from Poland, but it's not going to be an easy game. Victories for Wales or Belgium will get them back in the top 4 race, but with some more work to do until the end of the group stage.

Group D
In group D the Czech republic claimed back the top spot of the group and are facing the bottom placed team from Cyprus. The Czech republic are currently second ranked in terms of average hatstats and Cyprus are the second worst team in that ranking, with only San Marino having lower hatstats than Cyprus. It's going to be interesting if the Cyprus head coach Henribbo will try something unusual and steal some points from the group leaders. The other team that is level on points with the Czech republic - Portugal are facing the third lowest placed team in terms of hatstats - Montenegro. Montenegro have managed to steal 3 points at home against Slovenia in the second round and if they manage to achieve a good result against Portugal they'll be in a better position for the top 4 race. The final match from the group is between Romania and Slovenia. Romania have won their last three games and will be looking to extend their run, so that they can feel safe about their place in the World Cup. On the other hand Slovenia are a bit under pressure although they're still 3 points above the line, but they still have head-to-head matches with the teams that are behind them and if they slip in some of those games, they might miss out the World Cup.

Group E
Next up we have group E, where one of the two unbeaten teams in the competition - Spain are welcoming North Macedonia. A match, where the visitors must win if they want to feel more safe about their World Cup place. Elsewhere, the unluckiest team Latvia are playing in front of their own fans against Turkey. Turkey will want to put some pressure on Spain for the first place and we've seen in the past that they perform very well in the U20 European Competitions having won the unofficial U20 Championship two seasons in a row, an achievement that nobody has managed to replicate. The last match sees Norway who now see the light on the horizon and they're welcoming Malta. If Spain doesn't drop points against North Macedonia, Norway have a chance to jump above the line in the standings if they manage to defeat Malta tonight.

Group F
In group F we have the other unbeaten team in the competition so far - France and they're travelling to Moldova in an attempt to extend their lead ahead of the pack. Elsewhere the two teams placed below the line - Luxembourg and Bosnia and Herzegovina will be facing Hungary and Slovakia respectively. Both teams are 6 points behind the 4th placed Slovakia and they'll desperately try to get some points to have at least a slim chance of making it to the top 4. A quick note here that when we talk about unlucky teams Luxembourg are the third unluckiest team so far in the competition. With a goal difference of -3, a potential win against Hungary will increase their chances for making it to the World cup. Worst scenario for both Luxembourg and Bosnia and Herzegovina is that France gets defeated by Moldova and Luxembourg and Bosnia and Herzegovina lose their games. If this happens there will be a 9 point gap between them and the 4th placed team and with 3 rounds to go it will be nearly impossible for any of them to get back, so crucial games in this group tonight.

Group G
Moving on to group G, where the luckiest and the best in terms of average hatstats team from Faroe Islands are facing Austria. A win for Faroe Islands will mean that they've secured their spot at the World Cup. Elsewhere both teams that are below the top 4 line Iceland and Lithuania are facing each other. A battle for earning vital points that will boost the winner's chances for a top 4 finish. Iceland are without a defeat at home so they're the slight favorites in the game. The final match from the group sees Andorra facing Greece. The hosts have their confidence boosted after the last 3-0 win against Iceland and it's safe to say that Greece will have another challenging match to play after last week they lost from Faroe Islands and gave away the first place in the group.

Group H
Finally the Group of death where we have the closest gap between the first placed team and the bottom placed team - 6 points. Basically everything can happen in this group and nobody is safe. Now the teams come out again and some will be looking to get revenge in matches that they feel they lost a bit unfair, as others will be hoping to replicate their performances from the first round. Denmark are now visiting Bulgaria in a match, where pretty much everything can happen. Bulgaria are on a run that has seen them lose their last two games and Denmark are unbeaten since they lost the previous meeting with Bulgaria, winning two and drawing the other two of their last four matches. Switzerland are welcoming Belarus in a head-to-head match that will see the winner in the top 4 at the full time whistle. Last time out when both teams met Belarus managed a big win against their opponents (4-1) and now Switzerland will surely want to get revenge over their rivals. The last match from the group sees the group leaders Ukraine hosting the bottom placed team Netherlands. Ukraine are undefeated since the first round, winning 3 and drawing only one of their last four. It's a must win match for the Netherlands as if they fail to win, they might be 5 points behind the 4th place with only three games left to play.

16.2.2021 Padde-: "We will need to be lucky once ourselves" (EHF Euro Special)

As the Monday matches from the group stage have finished, now U20 coaches have a bit more time to breathe and to rest between the rounds. Players have more time to recover from injuries and fatigue and it's time to introduce the EHF U20 Euro special articles. In those articles we'll have some short interviews with some of the managers involved in the U20 European Cup.

Today we'll have a chat with a manager who has seen his team extremely unlucky so far in the competition. Speaking about his objectives at the start of the season and how they've changed during the competition, we have for you Belgium U20 coach Padde- , hope you enjoy reading:

-As far as I saw you were three times U20 coach in Oman and now this is your second cycle as an U20 coach in Belgium. Tell us more about your U20 experience and what made you go to U20?
I started training young strikers for Oman for some Dutch friends after their successful campaign at U20. Gently I rolled in and enjoyed it. I started scouting and at some point, we had real nice talents in Oman for the qualification campaign, so we kept a close look on them. I did some more studies and we made it a golden generation, which was more successful than I could've ever dreamed of and at that point at the World Cup I also realized, that I wanted to try once at a nation with more possibilities. So far, not a success yet. Not last campaign, not now. I also really liked the personal touch with managers during those campaigns and following players.

-Obviously Belgium is in a very difficult position right now, still without a win although you were very close on two occasions, but conceded late equalizers. What are your objectives now and have they changed from what they were at the start of the campaign.
They have changed a little. At the start I wanted to keep the option open to get first place and go towards the final phase of the continental cup. Now I only want to qualify (for the World Cup) and it will still be very hard to do so. There is no logical reason why I should grab points in Poland, but it doesn't mean we won't try. Maybe it will be once on our side. The campaign so far wasn't only nice to us in our games itself, it was a big influence that other teams started with a bit of luck too. We faced Croatia in game 2 after they had a flattered win, but with big numbers for their TC. Same happened when we played Finland, after they had their TC boosted in stead of crushed against Poland. And now we play Poland again, who had a second win with less than 20% likeliness.
So it's not only in our games it doesn't go well, other games don't favor us either.
We will need to be lucky once ourselves.

-Finally what do you think about the new format? Do you enjoy the continental championships? Does the new format make it more difficult for the countries to reach the World cup?
The format is okay. If I struggle with some things, it might be the TC that started high and is still impacted a lot with luck. But that's no excuse. The fast games, the continental phase, I do like those aspects. I'm just not in the position right now to be very enthusiastic and to be cheering loudly.

15.2.2021 Round 5 Review

As we're now half way through the group stage of the Europe Cup let's look back at round 5 and what results it had to offer.

Group A
Starting off with group A as always, where the World Champions finally managed to get a win after they struggled for the last two games. A comfortable 6-0 against San Marino got them back to third in the group. Russia got another win under the belt after an impressive 4-0 against Scotland and have claimed the top of the group leaving Scotland on fourth place. In the last match Liechtenstein snatched a point against Ireland but still they have a big mountain to climb if they want to get to top 4, as now they're 6 points behind Scotland.

Group B
Moving on to group B, where Italy claimed back the top spot after they defeated Albania with a 3-1 result. Albania have dropped now to fourth, but they're still 2 points above the line, that guarantees them a spot in the World Cup. The other match from the group between Northern Ireland and England was a 50/50 match according to the replay analysis, but you can't really tell that if you look at the final score only. A 3-0 victory for England and they jump into second, level on points with Serbia, who pulled off yet another upset for the hosts Sweden, who are now three games without a win and two points below the line.

Group C
Next up is group C, where the leaders Croatia recorded their first defeat of the season. Poland managed to pull off a 0-1 victory in Zagreb, but still they dropped to 4th place as Estonia managed to defeat Wales. A match that we saw many comebacks and turnarounds, Wales were hoping to finally get their first win of the season but they let Estonia to equalize in the 66th minute and grab a late winner in the 80th minute of the match. With that result Wales remain 5th and are now 5 points behind the 4th placed Poland. Only one team is behind Wales and that's Belgium. They continue to be struggling for results as they recorded another draw this time at Finland. Same as their match against Wales, they conceded a late equalizer in the 87th minute that brought 1 point for Finland and left Belgium on the bottom of the group with only two points from five games.

Group D
In group D the Czech republic claimed the top spot after they defeated Slovenia at home with 1-0 and Portugal recorded their first defeat for the season in Romania. Again both teams are level on points (12) and now they have Romania breathing down their necks with only 3 points behind. After their slow start of the campaign Romania are now feeling much safer about their World Cup spot having won all three of their last three games. We still can admit that it's an open race for the World cup places as Cyprus won their match against Montenegro at home. Now both Cyprus and Montenegro are on three points and they're only 3 points behind Slovenia, so a win in the head-to-head match for any of those teams will make it extremely interesting.

Group E
Moving on to group E, where Spain continue their unbeaten run in the competition after a 2-0 win at home against Malta, who were second. It's now three games in a row without a win for Malta as they're down to third and only two points above the line that qualifies them to the World Cup. In the other match from the group Turkey defeated North Macedonia and are now up to second, only a point behind Spain. North Macedonia are now level on points with the fifth placed Norway who snatched a win away from home against Latvia. A game that maybe went a bit against the odds looking at the replay analysis has put Latvia in a very difficult position for the top 4 race.

Group F
Next up is group F where we saw the teams from the top 4 gaining a bigger advantage ahead of the bottom two teams. France have won their game at home against Luxembourg and continue to be in the top of the group and without a defeat still. They also have a three point advantage ahead of the other three teams that complete the top four. Elsewhere Moldova won the match against the bottom placed team of Bosnia and Herzegovina and they find themselves on the third position. In the last game Slovakia missed a chance to stay equal on points with France as they lost in Hungary with 3-1. A good result for Hungary that fired them up to second place with the best goal difference amongst the other teams that have 8 points.

Group G
In group G we have a new leader with the Faroe Islands overtaking Greece, after they defeated their rivals away from home with 1-0. This was the first defeat for Greece, but regardless of the result they still have a three point lead ahead of the third placed team from Andorra and the battle for the first place is definitely on. Elsewhere Austria missed a decent chance to record their second win allowing Lithuania to steal a point from them. Now it's only one point between Austria and the fifth and sixth placed Iceland and Lithuania and the race for top four is going to be very interesting and all teams have a chance to make it to the World Cup. Iceland are now on a very bad run of form and they haven't won any of their last three games after they lost 3-0 from Andorra. They now have a head-to-head game with Lithuania coming up, so next round will be extremely interesting in the bottom of the group.

Group H
In group H we have a new leader as well, as Ukraine defeated in front of their own fans the team from Bulgaria with 2-1. A very balanced match but at the end Ukraine managed to get the three points and are now in the lead of the "Group of death". Elsewhere we saw two a bit of a surprising results, if you can say that in a group like that, but looking at the replay analysis they're maybe a bit unfair. Denmark and Belarus recorded 1-0 victories against Switzerland and Netherlands respectively and now are up in the top 4, leaving Switzerland and the Netherlands on the bottom two spots in the group. It's still an open race as the Netherlands are only two points behind the 4th placed Belarus, who are level on points with the 5th placed Switzerland. Everything to play for in this group and the surprising results keep on coming.

12.2.2021 Round 5 Preview

It's time for another round from the U20 Europe Cup as the teams meet the last opponents from the groups which they haven't played against. Today as always we'll see what matches are going to be played tonight.

Group A
In group A the World champions Germany are facing the team from San Marino. After two defeats in a row for the Germans now it will be the time when they get back to winning ways. Elsewhere Ireland are travelling to Liechtenstein, who are second to last in the group just a point above San Marino, so an easy win on paper is expected for Ireland. Liechtenstein however managed to steal a point when Russia paid visit and now will be hoping to get something out of Ireland as well. The last game from the group sees Russia facing the group leaders Scotland. Two points between both teams and with the match to be played in Russia, it's possible to see Scotland drop to third if they don't get a good result tonight.

Group B
In group B we have England travelling to Northern Ireland. A must win game for Jackfreeman's team if they want to keep their chances of qualifying for the World cup. Elsewhere we have two head-to-head games with Sweden welcoming Serbia, who are just a point above them in the standings. Sweden must be feeling very uncomfortable on the fifth position and now they'll be looking for the win to accumulate more points for the top 4 battle. Serbia on the other hand won't give up that easy, as they're still trying to get any points away from home. In the final game from the group Italy are facing Albania. Head coach Lekani stated that his team will try their best to be above Serbia, Northern Ireland and England in the rankings. A win tonight in Italy will keep his team on the top of the table and a point ahead England in case they win their match.

Group C
In group C we have Estonia facing Wales. Estonia are still without a win in front of their own fans and Wales haven't recorded a victory at all so far. A six-pointer for both teams as the winner of the match will get a big boost in the battle for top 4. Elsewhere we have the most unlucky team from Belgium travelling to Finland, who are second in the group standings. Belgium are still struggling to get their first win, but they face the team that has scored 7 goals against Poland last round, so another tough task for Padde-. In the last match from the group we'll see the group leaders Croatia facing Poland. Poland had a disaster of a match on Monday and now it doesn't look like it will be easier. Croatia are the second ranked team in terms of average hatstats and will be hoping to extend their lead at the top in case Belgium finally gets some luck tonight.

Group D
Moving on to group D, where the luckiest team so far in the competition Portugal is travelling to Romania. Currently Romania have two wins in a row and Portugal haven't recorded a different result than a win since the start. It will be very interesting to see two teams that have their form rising face each other. In the other match from the group the Czech republic are playing against Slovenia. The visitors don't have any points away from home so far this season and this is a good chance for the Czech republic to get a win and if they do it they'll be hoping Portugal to drop some points in Romania so that they can get level on points with them. The last match sees two of the bottom three teams in terms of average hatstats facing each other with Montenegro visiting Cyprus. So far Cyprus are third bottom in terms of luck and they'll be hoping to get a good result against Montenegro. However the visitors will try to get another win and if they manage to do it they'll bring back their chances for qualifying in the World Cup.

Group E
In the second half of the groups we move on to group E, where we see the top 2 teams playing a head-to-head match as Malta are visiting Spain. Spain are still undefeated so far in the competition and would like to stay like this after tonight's match, especially when Turkey are playing against North Macedonia and if they get three points in their match and Malta and Spain drop points, we might see a new leader in the group. North Macedonia will also be hoping for a good result to get even more points clear above the line and to try and secure their World Cup spot. In the last game we see the two bottom placed teams play against each other with Norway travelling to Latvia, who are the second unluckiest team so far in the competition. A vital game for both teams as three points will get any of them back in the top 4 battle and will leave the defeated team in a very difficult situation.

Group F
In group F the race for the first place continues along with the race for the top four. We have two teams with 8 points, two teams sitting on 5 points and two teams below the line with 2 points. In this round the group leaders France are playing against Luxembourg, who are fifth and without a win yet and Slovakia, who are level on points with France are facing Hungary, who are third. A chance for France to get three points ahead of Slovakia in case Hungary manage to get a good result against them. In the third match of the group Moldova are welcoming Bosnia and Herzegovina. A match that is very important for both teams. Moldova will be chasing the win in order to feel more safe above the line and Bosnia and Herzegovina would like to keep the other teams in sight and won't be very happy to stay at the bottom of the league any longer.

Group G
In group G we have the top team in terms of average hatstats Faroe Islands travelling to the group leaders Greece in a head-to-head match that will see the winners as the group leaders. Would Faroe Islands be able to grab the first place by defeating Greece at their own ground, or Greece will extend their lead at the top of the table. Elsewhere Austria welcome Lithuania. Austria are without a home win and Lithuania haven't won on the road so whoever win will record the first win away or the first win in front of their own fans. The stakes are really high as both teams are below the line and the winner will jump straight to the top 4. The other two teams that are in the top 4 face each other in the third head-to-head game in the group. Iceland will travel to Andorra as both teams will try their best to close the gap between them and the second placed Faroe Island and most importantly gain some crucial advantage in the race for the top 4.

Group H
Finally in the Group of death we have again three head-to-head games. The group leaders Bulgaria will be visiting Ukraine as the hosts will do their best to climb to the first place in the group. The lower placed teams face each other as well as Switzerland will be taking on Denmark. The winner will get vital three points and a good advantage in the battle for the World Cup places. Finally the Netherlands are welcoming the bottom placed team of Belarus, who haven't won away from home so far. After the win in the first round Netherlands are now three games in a row without a victory, having lost twice and drawn once. Both teams will be looking for a good result, but surely Netherlands are the favorites in this one although it won't be an easy match for them.

CALENDAR

Group stage

Matchday 1 - 29 January
Matchday 2 - 1 February
Matchday 3 - 5 February
Matchday 4 - 8 February
Matchday 5 - 12 February
Matchday 6 - 19 February
Matchday 7 - 26 February
Matchday 8 - 5 March
Matchday 9 - 12 March
Matchday 10 - 19 March

Knockout phase

Quarter-finals - 26 March
Semi-finals - 29 March

Final

Final - 2 April

EHF Competitions
Club	National
EHF Pseudo Champions League	EHF Euro
EHF Europa Cup	Under-20
EHF Youth Championship