It will be Germany and Hungary competing for the gold in the European Open. However, the two semifinals unfolded in completely different ways.

Croatia reached the semifinals after going undefeated in the group stage and subsequently eliminating Romania in the quarterfinals. Germany, on the other hand, had won three out of four group matches before defeating Spain in the knockout stage. The first half was also relatively even.

Germany had a slight grip on the match and went into halftime leading 19–15, but Croatia was still within reach. Then came the German explosion.

The second half was a complete showcase where Germany won with a staggering 16–3. What appeared to be a potentially close semifinal quickly transformed into a rout, and the Germans ultimately won decisively 35–18.

The strength lay particularly in the team's depth. Ten different German players scored two goals or more, which meant the team was never reliant on any single scorer. For Croatia, Ena Gotal was the standout offensive player with her seven goals, but she received far too little support to threaten the effective German team.

Switzerland forced overtime.

The second semifinal between Hungary and Switzerland was much closer. Switzerland had greatly impressed earlier in the tournament with four consecutive group stage victories and a 14-goal win against Serbia in the quarterfinal. Hungary advanced after a slightly bumpier path in the group stage but demonstrated their capability by defeating France by ten goals in the quarterfinal.

The teams remained closely matched for most of the first half. The play maintained a high quality, and neither team managed to create any significant gap until just before halftime when Hungary pulled ahead to 16–13. For Switzerland, Nina Hasler was brilliant in the first half with her seven goals, while Hungary saw contributions from several different players.

However, the semifinal was far from decided. Switzerland, again led by Hasler, fought back during the second half and equalized at 27–27, taking the match into overtime. There, Hungary completely took over.

The Hungarians were the clearly stronger team during the extra time and ultimately won 32–28. The standout player of the match was Hanna Molnár, who scored ten goals.

The final between Germany and Hungary will be held on Friday evening at 20:30 at Scandinavium.

This article is a collaboration between Partille World Cup and Handbollskanalen.