“It’s like a fairy tale”: Austria’s handball players explained the Hungary surprise

Austria’s handball fans can’t stop rubbing their eyes: The ÖHB national team continued its successful run at the European Championships in Germany with a 30:29 (17:17) victory over Hungary on Thursday.

“It’s like a fairy tale what we deliver every day,” said Sebastian Frimmel, referring to the Austrians’ fourth unbeaten European Championship game in a row. “It’s hard to describe, simply unbelievable,” beamed team boss Ales Pajovic.

The 6-0 defense he designed, which had proven so successful against Romania, Croatia and Spain in the preliminary round, had its problems against Hungary. The opposing offensive mix of the 2.07 meter tall, 131 kilogram pivot colossus Bence Banhidi and a powerful backcourt were hardly able to tame the ÖHB seven at the beginning. “He was very difficult to defend. It was clear to us that some goals would come from him. But we can live with that,” said defense chief Lukas Herburger, Banhidi’s direct opponent, who ultimately had little impact with four goals.

• Also read: Mykola Bilyk – The goal guarantor in portrait

The fact that the deficit never exceeded four goals was only thanks to strong Austrian shooting. The self-confidence that arose from promotion to the main round seemed literally tangible in the red-white-red team. Despite being outnumbered, the Austrians managed to equalize for the first time in the 23rd minute (13:13). At the latest when Lukas Hutecek scored with a powerful shot to make it 17:17, practically before the half-time siren, it was like a pointer.

“Until midday I still believed that I wouldn’t be able to play at all,” said the ÖHB playmaker, referring to the knee injury he suffered against Spain. The doctors gave the all-clear that it was only a small bruise. While Boris Zivkovic, who also suffered a knee injury, was only able to play in phases, Janko Bozovic and Moritz Mittendorfer, who were ill, stayed in the hotel.

Bilyk keeps his nerve

“From the first minute you noticed that we weren’t playing against a superior opponent,” Constantin Möstl told ORF. Despite a below-average first half, the goalkeeper, who was voted man of the match, made a decisive contribution to ÖHB’s second victory at this European Championship finals with eleven saves.

In the end, it was captain Mykola Bilyk who took responsibility 20 seconds before the end and with his eighth goal (best thrower of the game) overcame the extremely strong Hungarian goalkeeper Laszlo Bartucz (41.7 percent save rate) to give the final score. Pajovic named “heart, character and our system” as factors that ensured his team kept their nerve in the decision.

On Saturday against Germany

“We are on a wave right now,” said cyclist Tobias Wagner. Finishing with three points after the start of the main round was not to be expected and puts the red-white-red European Championship surprise in an extraordinary starting position. Wagner: “We’re playing against Germany on Saturday – now you have to say it – for the semi-finals. Then we’ll see whether we’re a top team.”

Even if a victory on Saturday in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, which was sold out with 20,000 spectators, would not mean a ticket to the semi-finals, it would still probably be the biggest ÖHB prestige success in ÖHB history. Just a winter fairy tale.