In the penultimate international match of the year, the German national handball team played 31:31 (16:18) against Egypt on Friday (November 3rd, 2023).
Without a few top performers, national coach Alfred Gislason had to improvise in the test match for the 2024 European Championship at home and was able to rely primarily on playmaker Juri Knorr (six goals). In the sold-out Ulm Arena, the hosts needed a few minutes to find their rhythm.
Thanks to good counterattacks and a strong backcourt, the DHB team took a 7:3 lead. After that, however, came the first break in the game. The eight-time African champion was able to assert himself more and more and took the lead with an 8:2 run.
Juri Knorr pivotal point
Until the break, the German team, in which goalkeeper Andreas Wolff made his comeback after a herniated disc, did not always have access defensively. At the front, however, Knorr kept the team in the game with strong throws from the backcourt or clever passes, so that Germany was still in a good position at 16:18 at the break.
The DHB selection then came out of the locker room strong. With the goal to make it 20:19 (36th minute), Knorr took its first lead since the opening phase. And this time Germany stayed in the game. Youngsters like Julian Köster, Renars Uscins and, in the second half, goalkeeper David Späth also fit in well into the game.
Timo Kastening safely from the Seven meter line
The Gislason team was able to repeatedly create pinpricks, especially through counterattacks. Timo Kastening (six goals) also performed confidently from the seven-meter line. However, Egypt continued to resist energetically and came close again in the final minutes and secured a draw.
On Sunday (5:15 p.m. in the live center at sportschau.de) Germany and Egypt will meet again in Munich.