Tick off Denmark and into the semi-finals

The preliminary skirmish at the Women’s Handball World Cup in Spain is over. Six matches have been played by the eight quarter-finalists before they have qualified for the knockout round first. That means the upcoming world champions will need nine matches to secure the title. This tough stint will take it out of you.

The quarter-final between Spain and Germany will therefore have to show on Tuesday which team has put the previous six matches behind them better. The hosts perhaps had the somewhat easier programme, as they had the opportunity to rest some players in several matches.

Our betting providers nevertheless expect an exciting match in which no one will be able to win, as the odds on a victory are relatively close. In general, however, the forecast in this quarter-final between Spain and Germany should go more towards a home victory for the Iberian team.

The Spaniards have won six games out of six and have underlined their ambitions to be in the fight for the medals. Germany has also performed magnificently so far, but most recently they suffered a heavy defeat against Denmark. Therefore, our first impulse is to place a bet on the Spanish team in the duel between Spain and Germany

Spain – Statistics & current form

The Spanish women were already considered a very hot candidate for the medals in the run-up to the home World Cup. Jose Ignacio Prades’ side have already shown that in their preparation, when they won a four-nation tournament with Germany, Poland and Slovakia. The 2019 World Cup runners-up appear to be well on their way to winning precious metal again

Impressive winning streak

At the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Spanish women still missed the quarter-finals. Since leaving Japan, however, things have been going exceptionally well. The Guerreras have won eleven games in a row. For us, this means that in the match between Spain and Germany, we are primarily looking at the odds for a home win.

On Sunday, the decisive match in the main round was against Brazil for the group victory. The Spanish did not show any weakness. Although the hosts only won 27-24, Spain were ahead throughout the game and led by six goals until shortly before the end, before they let the reins slip a little.

The two Spanish goalkeepers Silvia Navarro, who is already 42 years old, and Mercedes Castellanos have also been outstanding so far in this World Cup. Both are among the best goalkeepers of the tournament. In addition, the Spaniards exude an enormous scoring threat in almost all positions. Alexandrina Cabral and Carmen Martin in particular must be kept under control.

The Spain squad:
Goal: Navarro, Castellanos
Back: Arderius, Fernandez, Campos, Ortega, Cabral, Rodriguez, Espinola, Arcos, Gonzalez
Left wing: L. Hernandez, Bermejo, Lopez
Right wing: Martin, Etxeberria
Circle: Cesareo, Gassama, A. Hernandez
Coach: Prades

Germany – Statistics & current form

The first World Cup medal since 2007 is the big dream of the German handball ladies. Anything is still possible, although the German team should be the biggest remaining underdogs of the eight quarter-finalists, perhaps alongside Brazil. But if Henk Groener’s team manages to build on their first matches at this tournament, a surprise could be possible on Tuesday.

Heavy limp against Denmark

After all, Germany have lost only two of their last 14 international matches. One of those two defeats came against Spain, of all teams. Nevertheless, they have done very well at the World Cup, with five wins and one crushing defeat. However, this record is not enough to predict a victory for the DHB women in the duel between Spain and Germany.

That is mainly because it became clear on Sunday how far away Henk Groener’s team actually is from the world’s best. In the group final, Germany did not stand a chance against Denmark and lost by a clear 16:32. Neither the attack was able to show what it was capable of, nor were the two strong goalkeepers able to counter the Danish attacks.

But nothing has gone wrong yet. The entry into the quarter-finals was clear and maybe this shot across the bow was important to focus on the essential strengths of the team again. But it should be clear that the German women cannot afford another negative performance like the one against Denmark.

The squad of Germany:
Goal: Eckerle, Filter
Back: Grijseels, Petersen, Zschocke, Smits, Bölk, Kalf, Stolle
Left Wing: Lauenroth, Stockschläder
Right wing: Maidhof, Berger
Circle: Schmelzer, Antl, Schulze
Coach: Groener

Spain – Germany Direct Comparison / H2H-Balance

Since the 2007 World Cup, Spain and Germany have played a total of 14 matches. In terms of victories, the Guerreras are just 7:6 ahead in this period. One duel ended in a draw. This balance can be interpreted to mean that the teams from Spain and Germany have been on an equal footing for years.

The last duel was also close. In preparation for the current World Cup, both teams already met in a four-nation tournament. On 28 November, Spain won by a very narrow 23-22 margin, with Juan Ignacio Prades’ team even more heavily favoured by the bookmakers than they are now.

Spain – Germany tip

The Spanish team has won all six games in the preliminary and main rounds at this World Cup. In total, they have won eleven in a row and it is not for nothing that Spain, with home advantage behind them, were considered co-favourites at this World Cup. Two years ago, the Spanish won silver at the World Championships and this time, too, they are aiming for the final.

Germany, however, has played a good tournament so far and won five games in six. The German women had the toughest opponents, which could mean that the hosts could be a bit fresher on Tuesday.

In the preparation, the Spanish women won 23:22 against the German selection. However, we guess the Guerreras will be a bit stronger now at the World Cup. The German women’s loss of substance was clearly noticeable in the match against Denmark. Therefore, we have decided to play the betting odds on a handicap win (-1.5) for the Spanish women between Spain and Germany