Handball-EM: Next thriller!

Germany finished their last preliminary round game at the European Championship in Croatia with a draw. The team of national coach Christian Prokop separated from Macedonia in the Arena Zagreb with 25:25 (12:11) and has to settle for second place in Group C behind the Macedonians.

This means that the German team will enter the next round with at least two points. If Montenegro wins against Slovenia in the evening, the DHB team would travel to Varazdin with three points in their luggage. In the main round the opponents are Spain, Denmark and the Czech Republic.

Macedonia played with the seventh outfielder from the very first second, taking the German side by surprise. In addition, there was a 5:1 defence, which caused the Prokop team great difficulties in the first few minutes. The national coach reacted to the Macedonians’ attack variant by ordering Finn Lemke to join Hendrik Pekeler in the central block and having Patrick Wiencek defend him to the left of him.

After a 3:6 deficit in the meantime, the Bad Boys came into the match better and better over the defence. They provoked ball losses or forced Kiril Lazarov & Co. to difficult deals, which increasingly often did not find their destination. In return, the DHB team scored a few simple goals, with Germany scoring 10:7 in a 7:1 run. The Macedonians finished their game with the seventh outfielder for the time being, and the game was finally paused at 12:11.

At the beginning of the second round, coach Raul Gonzalez’s team was more poisonous. The German team didn’t have much time in the attack, in which Steffen Fäth, who had hardly been taken into account in the first two games, was given a lot of time. The consequence: After 42 minutes, the underdog led the match with 19:16. Silvio Heinevetter now scored for Wolff, who became weaker as the game progressed.

Germany had to fight back and did the same. Unsurprisingly, Steffen Weinhold, a very strong man in the 51st minute of the race, was not very surprised. Minute 21:20. However, the DHB team was not able to break away in the following time. With 25:25 it was the last two minutes – pure drama!

Fifteen seconds before the end Heinevetter outperformed Stojanche Stoilov, who was completely free standing in a circle. The last attack belonged to Germany. But it was no longer possible to reach a reasonable conclusion.

Initial formation DHB: Wolff – Gensheimer, Fäth, Weber, Weinhold, Reichmann, Pekeler

Goal scorers Germany: Weinhold (8), Gensheimer (5 – 2 of 2 seven-metres), Wiencek (4), Weber, Fäth (both 2), Reichmann, Pekeler, Groetzki, Drux (all 1)

Goal scorers Macedonia: Taleski (6), Manaskov (5 – 3 of 3 seven-metres), Lazarov (5 – 0 of 1 seven-metre), Stoilov, Peshevski (both 3), Kuzmanovski (2), Popovski (1)

Two-minute time penalty: Germany 3 – Macedonia 2

The left backroom player of the Rhein-Neckar Löwen showed a great performance. With six goals, Taleski was the best Macedonian thrower and turned six of his eight attempts (75%).

Quite unhappy appearance of the Berliner. Again, it was no factor in the attack – at least not in a positive sense. Met only one of his five throws (20 percent).