The German handball women started into the era of the new national coach Henk Groener with a convincing performance. After the disappointment at the 2017 World Cup with early elimination in the round of 16, the newly-formed DHB team managed a 33-24 (16-13) win over Spain in the European Championship qualifier.
Germany (5:1 points) took the lead in Qualifying Group 6 ahead of Spain. The two first-placed teams in each of the seven qualification groups and the best third-placed team will compete in the European Championship in France (29. November until 16. December). The return match against Spain will take place in San Sebastian on Saturday.
“We are overjoyed, the two points are extremely important for qualifying for the European Championship,” said Captain Anna Loerper: “This was important for self-confidence and another step towards the European Championship, we want to be there with our newly formed team.
In front of 1735 spectators in Stuttgart, after a bumpy start, the German team dominated the Spaniards at times almost at will. The most successful caster was the outstanding Xenia Smits (five goals).