Sweden Vs Norway Quarter Finals Men's Youth U19 World Championship 2025

Sweden Vs Norway Quarter Finals Men's Youth U19 World Championship 2025 Sweden vs Norway 35:34 (16:17)
The highly anticipated Nordic quarter-final unfolded exactly as expected — a tense, high-quality contest full of momentum swings, grit, and spectacular goals. The opening 15 minutes were evenly balanced, with Norway edging ahead by a single goal on several occasions. Liam Hultberg scored three times in that span, including the strike that levelled the game at 6:6, keeping Sweden in touch.

Sweden’s compact 6–0 defence was designed to disrupt Norway’s rhythm, but the Norwegians countered by varying their formations and applying high pressure to Sweden’s back line, which briefly paid off as they moved 10:8 ahead midway through the first half.

However, a series of mistakes allowed Sweden to turn the tide. Goals from Leon Halén and key saves by Oskar Arnell swung the advantage to 12:10 in Sweden’s favour with 10 minutes remaining in the half. That was when Alexander Loke Gautestad took charge for Norway, scoring four of their final seven goals before the break. With support from the creative Ola Sonju Eggum, he helped Norway reclaim the lead and take a narrow 17:16 advantage into halftime.

Sweden came out firing in the second half, producing a blistering four-goal run to race into a 20:17 lead. The sudden shift put Norway under pressure, and while they responded with moments of brilliance — including some spectacular outfield goals — they also committed costly errors. This inconsistency forced two Norwegian time-outs within seven minutes as they sought to slow Sweden’s momentum.

Arnell continued to shine in goal, reaching 13 saves at a 36% efficiency by the 45th minute, while Sweden’s fast breaks proved lethal. They extended their lead to 29:23, appearing well on course to maintain their perfect record at Egypt 2025.

Norway, however, were not done. With Ciljan Sagosen netting his sixth of the game, they mounted an impressive comeback, reducing the deficit to 31:32 with just four minutes left. The closing stages were filled with missed chances, big saves, and high-pressure goals from both sides. Ultimately, Nikola Roganovic’s breakthrough to make it 35:33 proved decisive, helping Sweden hold on in a thrilling finish despite late Norwegian pressure.

With the win, the M18 EHF EURO 2024 champions advance to the semi-finals, staying in contention for their first-ever IHF Men’s Youth World Championship gold. Norway, meanwhile, will shift their focus to the Placement Matches 5–8.

Player of the Match: Liam Hultberg (Sweden)

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