Handball players stunt against host country Hungary in European Championship opening match | Sport

The Orange squad won 31-28 against the much higher ranked home team. Playmaker Luc Steins and Kay Smits were the stars. Smits scored no less than eleven times.

There were more than 20,000 Hungarians in the stands, but the Orange did not let themselves be fooled. On the contrary; Richardsson’s team boldly took the initiative from the first whistle and led 6-3 after 10 minutes. The home team visibly struggled with the smooth and frivolous game of the Dutch, who managed to maintain the high level and the advantageous margin of three goals until the end.

The win is a big step to the second round. The Netherlands still plays against Iceland and Portugal in the group stage. The top two in the group advance to the main round. The Dutch team is only participating in the European Championship for the second time.