In their first competitive game on home court after winning the world title in January, Denmark disposed of North Macedonia, 37:21, making a big step towards qualifying for the EHF EURO 2022.

After scoring four times against Denmark on Thursday, Lazarov stayed on the bench, but could not prevent a tough loss for his side.

GROUP 7

Denmark vs North Macedonia 37:21 (17:10)

• a 8:2 run by Denmark was the beginning of the end for North Macedonia, as the hosts jumped to a 12:6 lead, thanks to key contributions from centre back Mads Mensah Larsen and right back Mathias Gidsel
• as Lazarov, the top goal scorer of his team in the EHF EURO 2022 Qualification Phase, with 22 goals, was on the bench, North Macedonia failed to get going in attack, posting a 38 percent attacking efficiency in the first half
• this was Denmark’s largest win against North Macedonia, five goals larger than the previous record set at the EHF EURO 2018 in Croatia, 31:20
• all of Denmark’s outfield players scored at least one goal in this game, led by young star Mathias Gidsel, with the right back scoring seven times
• Denmark are back on top of the group, with six points, tied with North Macedonia, but boasting a bigger goal difference and also holding the tiebreaker, after the 33:29 loss in Skopje

North Macedonia falter without Lazarov

While the win against Denmark on Thursday was an amazing achievement, Kiril Lazarov’s challenge at the helm of the North Macedonian men’s national team is still probably one of the biggest in his star-studded career.

The North Macedonian side is still dependent on Lazarov, now 40, with their attacking output seriously diminished, as the right back was on coaching duties on Sunday. Still, North Macedonia will likely proceed to the EHF EURO 2022, yet challenging for a top spot will be a long shot.