Germany has also won the second test match for the European Championship in Croatia against Iceland. The team of national coach Christian Prokop won in Neu-Ulm with 30:21 (13:8). On Saturday the opening match will be played in Zagreb against Montenegro at 5.15 pm in the LIVETICKER.
Contrary to the 36-29 win on Friday in Stuttgart, Prokop hardly made any changes in the first 20 minutes and thus possibly gave a signal as to what his original formation in Croatia could look like – with the once again convincing Silvio Heinevetter in the goal, Uwe Gensheimer on the left, Maximilian Janke, Paul Drux and Kai Häfner in the back, Patrick Groetzki on the right and Hendrik Pekel. In the defence only Finn Lemke came on the record for Drux.
After a balanced initial phase in the 13th round, Germany continued to make good progress. minute to three goals for the first time (8:5). The Icelanders had great difficulties with the DHB defence, which also had to do with the fact that superstar Aron Palmarsson was not in the line-up.
Meanwhile, the DHB selection was not quite as variable in the attack at least in the first half as it was two days before, but finally went into the cabin with a confident 13:8 lead.
After the break we changed a lot. Wolff moved for Heinevetter between the posts and held strong. Prokop used all the players from his 20-man squad.
Germany dropped right at the start of the second half, after 36 minutes it was 18:10 and after 45 minutes 22:12. Since the defence in combination with Wolff forced the Icelanders to make mistakes again and again, there were numerous possibilities for counter-attacks, which were consistently used. Afterwards, the German team brought home the victory safely.
A highlight was provided by Iceland’s left-winger legend Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson. The 38-year-old achieved his 1784. Goal in the national jersey and has thus broken the record for most international goals worldwide.
Initial formation DHB: Heinevetter – Gensheimer, Janke, Drux, Häfner, Groetzki, Pekeler
Goal scorers Germany: Weber (4), Gensheimer (4 – 1 of 2 seven-metres), Reichmann (4 – 2 of 3 seven-metres), Groetzki, Häfner, Kühn, Drux, Pekeler (all 2), Weinhold, Roscheck, Michalczik, Fäth, Janke, Wolff, Kohlbacher, Wiencek (all 1)
Scorers Iceland: Gudmundsson (6), Magnusson, Gunnarsson, Arnarsson (all 3), Elisson, Sigurdsson (both 2), Kristjansson, Smarason (both 1)
The player from Leipzig only made it to the second half of the match, but then played very courageously in his 15 minutes of attack and scored four goals. Weber also performed well in the defence.
Iceland’s playmaker had a hard time from the very first minute. Smarason made several mistakes and managed to put his fellow players in the limelight far too rarely. Also didn’t make a happy figure in some defensive actions.