Despite another good performance, the German handball players suffered their first defeat at the European Championships in their own country. From a German perspective it was 30:33 (15:17) in Berlin against Olympic champions France.
Nevertheless, the Germans can take a lot of positive things with them into the main round, because against the co-favorites for the European championship title, Germany kept the game even until almost the end. Ultimately, the cleverness and experience of the world-class team around veteran Nikola Karabatic prevailed.
“In the end we were a bit tired and couldn’t score the easy goals from the backcourt. Instead we conceded easy goals while retreating”national coach Alfred Gislason analyzed in the ARD sports show and spoke of France as a deserved winner.
“There were only little things missing”
Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff, who was once again outstanding, also saw many positive aspects. “We fought well. There were little things that were missing. “It was a world selection on the other hand, but we still held up well.”said the keeper of the sports show.
Germany now goes into the main round with two minus points, but still has a chance of reaching the semi-finals in four games. In the main round in Cologne, the DHB crew will now face Iceland, the home country of the national coach, on Thursday (January 18, 2024, live on ZDF) and on Saturday against the surprise team from Austria (live on ARD). Hungary and Croatia are the other opponents until the possible semi-finals.
Furious start for the Germans
The German team got off to a furious start and immediately had the hall, which was sold out with 13,571 spectators, behind them. Johannes Golla three times, Juri Knorr once in the first few minutes, and it quickly became 4-1 for Germany. But things couldn’t continue so quickly, after all it wasn’t just anyone who was on the other side, but the Olympic champion and runner-up world champion, who wanted to show more after the meager draw against Switzerland on Sunday.
Wolff and Späth are strong again
France came close again, neither team was able to break away decisively. Strong: the German goalkeepers. As in the opening game against Switzerland, Andreas Wolff had a top catch rate. David Späth defused two seven-meter penalties from Descat and caused a storm of enthusiasm in the stands.
The game was hard fought. The Germans continued their strong performances at the start of the tournament, but made too many avoidable mistakes towards the end of the first half. The play in the circle in particular didn’t work well. Because the Germans completely lost concentration in the last minute of the first half, the French went into the break with a two-goal lead.
Thorsten vomwege, sports show, January 16, 2024 11:15 p.m
The French arrived immediately after the break
“It’s a shame with minus two, we’re actually better”said DHB team manager Oliver Roggisch at the break. “The French cover very defensively on the six-meter line, so we have to find better means and not throw the balls away.”
But things got even worse. France increased the lead to 19:15, also because Juri Knorr missed his first penalty of the tournament. The playmaker didn’t act as conspicuously as in the first games, but was still the best German goalscorer with eight goals (from 16 attempts).
However, the Germans didn’t let the four-goal deficit throw them off their game and kept fighting back.
David Späth celebrates after saving seven meters
50th minute – Crucial point in the game
It remained extremely exciting – also because Andreas Wolff nailed the German goal with sensational saves. Germany had equalized the game again in the 50th minute with the score at 27:27.
Carelessly discarded three times
But then came the sticking point. Gislason’s team now had three chances to take the lead again. It didn’t work three times. “We shoot too lightly”, also criticized the national coach. Instead, the cold-snout French played their game down in the final minutes and didn’t let the Germans, who had been waiting for a competitive win against France for eleven years, get close again.
“It hurts at first, but we have to go out with a broad chest. We still have it in our own hands.”said ARD expert Johannes Bitter, goalkeeper of the 2007 world champion team, and sounded as if he had been on the pitch again himself.