Germany’s handball players are not yet in European Championship form. In the victory over Portugal, the DHB team has to tremble after a good start. A debutant draws attention to himself.
Germany’s handball players got in the mood for the home European Championship with an arduous test match success.
National coach Alfred Gislason’s team defeated outsiders Portugal 34:33 (18:14) in Flensburg and revealed a few weak points six days before the opening game. In front of 4,546 spectators, Juri Knorr was the best thrower for the selection of the German Handball Federation with six hits.
At the European Championship dress rehearsal on Saturday (6 p.m./ARD), the DHB team will meet the southern Europeans again. The handball entourage then moves to North Rhine-Westphalia, where the opening duel with Switzerland will take place on January 10th. Other opponents in the preliminary round at the home tournament from January 10th to 28th are outsiders North Macedonia and co-favorites France.
Gislason relies on experience in the starting lineup
After Marian Michalczik’s injury, Gislason went into immediate preparation for the European Championship with an 18-man squad. In the starting line-up against Portugal, the Icelander relied on experience and sent veterans onto the field in Andreas Wolff, Johannes Golla and Juri Knorr. The U21 world champions around Nils Lichtlein were initially left behind. The decision was right.
The initial phase belonged to the German defense. The retreat against the Portuguese’s fast-paced game worked and the middle block was around Köster, so that the guests hardly found any gaps to the goal. It took six minutes for the Portuguese to score their first goal and reduce the score to 1:3.
Knorr takes responsibility
In the attacking game, playmaker and leading figure Knorr took responsibility. The 23-year-old from the Rhein-Neckar Löwen made a significant contribution to the interim 13-7 lead with lightning-fast throws and impressive passes to outside player Timo Kastening. Wolff showed a decent performance in goal after his slipped disc and short comeback in January.
Germany had the game under control and Gislason gave his regular players a break. When debutant Martin Hanne came into the game for left winger Lukas Mertens and scored his first international goal with the first throw, the Flensburg Campus Hall celebrated. The DHB team seemed well-coordinated, even if the lead at the break could have been higher.
DHB team unfocused after the break
After the break, the German squad acted without concentration. Hits on the post and bad passes brought the Portuguese back into the game, reducing the score to 20:22. Gislason, who complained about too little movement in the German game, took an early break.
Then things got really tricky for the DHB team, who suddenly found themselves twice as outnumbered, only one goal ahead. However, thanks to another goal from newcomer Hanne, Germany survived this delicate phase unscathed and then increased their lead again to four goals (28:24).
In the end it got close again and the gaps in the defense got bigger and bigger. The DHB team saved the narrow victory over time.
Source: Stern
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