As of: January 26, 2024, 5:10 a.m
By: Patrick Mayer
Comments
Press
Split
Despite a clear defeat against Croatia, Germany reached the semi-finals of the European Handball Championship.
Now the world champion is waiting in Cologne.
The game in the ticker for reading.
Handball European Championship: Germany - Croatia 24:30 (14:13)
After France's victory against Hungary: DHB team is in the semi-finals early.
The game in the ticker for reading.
Conclusion:
Germany is in the semi-finals of the 2024 European Championship at home.
And that despite the fact that the DHB team clearly lost 24:30 (14:13) against Croatia at the end of the intermediate round on Wednesday evening.
The best German throwers in front of 19,750 spectators in the sold-out Lanxess Arena in Cologne were captain Johannes Golla and Sebastian Heymann with four goals each.
Exploiting opportunities was the German national team's big shortcoming.
The DHB selection repeatedly failed due to the strong Croatian keeper Dominik Kuzmanovic, who held a total of 22 balls and fended off more than 47 percent of the throws.
The semi-finals will now take place on Friday evening (8.30 p.m., here in the live ticker), also in Cologne, against top favorites and world champions Denmark.
Germany - Croatia 24:30 (14:13)
Germany: |
Späth (8 saves), Wolff (6 saves) - Golla 4, Heymann 4, Dahmke 3, Knorr 3, Köster 2, Lichtlein 2, Uscins 2, Fischer 1, Häfner 1, Kastening 1/1, Kohlbacher 1, Mertens, Steinert , Weber |
Croatia: |
Kuzmanovic (22 saves), M. Mandic - Karacic 6, Duvnjak 4, Klarica 4, Glavas 3/1, Maras 3, Nacinovic 3, Jelinic 2, Sostaric 2/1, Cindric 1, Kusan 1, Mihic 1, Lucin, Mamic , Sipic |
Penalty minutes: |
4/6 |
Viewers: |
19,750 (in Cologne) |
In the European Championship semi-finals: handball goalkeeper David Späth and Germany.
© IMAGO / Pixsell
60th minute: The game is over! At the end of the main round, Germany lost 24:30 against Croatia. The DHB team is still in the semi-finals against world champions Denmark on Friday.
58th minute: Bitter!
Backcourt shooter Köster sprained in a duel and needs treatment.
That too.
The physio rushes straight to Gummersbacher.
55th minute: Kuzmanović, Kuzmanović, Kuzmanović!
How many balls the Croatian keeper holds.
This time the 21-year-old fends off a punch from Knorr from the second row.
For further reading
Germany's handball players will be even stronger in 2027
My news
Engaged handballer dream couple: German national player asked world handballer to pick her hand
DHB team passes brilliantly against North Macedonia and moves into the main round
54th minute: Germany defends itself.
Flensburg's Golla takes on a lot of activities.
And playmaker Knorr hammers a jump shot into the net with strong will.
22:26 - there's something else going on!
52nd minute: Captain Golla from the district finally scored a clear goal for Germany.
The Croatians take a timeout at 20:25.
Handball European Championship: Germany against Croatia live - keeper Kuzmanović cannot be overcome
50th minute: Kuzmanović in the Croatian goal cannot be overcome.
The 21-year-old keeper from Zagreb parries throw after throw.
It's crazy how high the boy's legs get.
Already his 19th save - and 24:19 for Croatia.
48th minute: Gislason reacts and allows Knorr, Köster and Golla to play again.
The Croatians pull away to 23:19.
Will Germany lose the last intermediate round game after reaching the semi-finals?
On the way to the European Championship semi-finals: Kiel's Rune Dahmke (right) and the Germans against Croatia.
© IMAGO/Joaquim Ferreira
46th minute: Open exchange of blows in Cologne!
Croatia presents.
Fischer awards a suitor from the district.
His throw hits the post.
The Croatians have a better hit rate and lead 21:19.
43rd minute: Strong!
The young keeper Späth with two saves in a row.
He also takes away a free man.
Kohlbacher asserts himself with a lot of strength in the circle and puts in a touchdown.
6:18 p.m.
42nd minute: The Germans keep failing because of the strong Croatian goalie Kuzmanović from RK Zagreb.
Kastening makes a seven-meter throw.
But the Croatians counter with a counterattack worth seeing.
18:17 for the team from the Balkans.
Handball European Championship: Germany against Croatia live - DHB team wobbles after the break
38th minute: Poor throwing by the German team after the break.
This is only 13 percent in the second half.
Kohlbacher leaves the next free player lying around the circle.
35th minute: And again Späth from the Rhein-Neckar Löwen with a parade between the posts.
But Germany leaves too many chances up front.
3:15 p.m.
32nd minute: The Germans hit the crossbar.
Späth moves into the DHB goal for Wolff and can distinguish himself with his first save.
Kohlbacher first goes to the circle for captain Golla.
31st minute: The exchange of blows between Germany and Croatia continues.
Intense duel: Germany against Croatia at the European Handball Championship.
© IMAGO/Eibner press photo
Handball European Championship: Germany against Croatia live - DHB team leads at break
30th minute: Break in Cologne! The German team leads 14:13 after the first half. Again: Thanks to the victories of Iceland against Austria (26:24) and of Olympic champion France against Hungary (35:32), the DHB team is already in the semi-finals of the European Handball Championship.
29th minute: Boom!
Heymann deliberately hammers in a jump shot from the second row.
Then the Swabian runs back in an exemplary manner and disturbs the opponent so that Wolff can parry.
27th minute: Germany shortens the lead thanks to a clever shot from Heymann.
The DHB team steals the ball and follows up directly through Fischer at the circle.
Three goals in a row and the equalizer to 13:13 against these experienced Croatians.
25th minute: Dahmke strikes again from the left wing.
This tool works against the Croatian defense, which cannot get their cross.
However, superstar Duvnjak puts a backcourt flare into the net.
Three goals in a row from the oldie.
13:10 for the Croatians.
22nd minute: The Croatians find the gaps in the circle.
However, Göppingen's Heymann shortened the score to 9:10 with a hammer from the backcourt.
19th minute: Dahmke!
This German counterattack works perfectly.
The Kieler clenches his fist and the Croatians foul in the attack.
Uscins breaks through the circle and equalizes to 8:8.
Handball European Championship: Germany against Croatia live - Andi Wolff is always there
17th minute: Wolff with his fifth save.
The audience rejoices.
On the other side, however, Häfner is blocked from throwing.
Croatia leads 8:6.
15th minute: Heymann grabs his opponent's throw and is sent off the board for two minutes.
Germany is now twice as outnumbered.
Wolff goes out of the gate and makes room for a field player.
The tactic in attack doesn't work - post!
13th minute: Uiuiuiuiuiui... Knorr fails from seven meters to the agile Croatian goalkeeper.
12th minute: Köster, who lives in Cologne, uses his two meters height to get through the circle and hits the ball in the bottom right.
Although he plays in Gummersbach, he lives not far from the arena in the city of millions on the Rhine.
10th minute: Germany in this phase with simple technical errors in the attack and unclean plays in the circle.
Gislason leaves playmaker Knorr out for now.
8th minute: Croatia sticks with it with a lot of power and force from the backcourt.
This has been their strength for many years.
On the other hand, a spin from Steinert does not find its target.
5:4.
Handball European Championship: Germany vs Croatia live - Andi Wolff is very good in the game again
5th minute: Strong!
Häfner places Dahmke on the left side of the circle.
The Kiel player flicks the ball around the Croatian keeper.
During the following attack, Wolff is there again.
The boy is just amazing!
3rd minute: Wolff, Wolff, again and again Wolff!
Already two saves for the bear in the German box.
On the other side, Golla puts the ball in.
The leadership for Germany.
2:1.
2nd minute: Knorr hits the net with a powerful jump shot.
The 1:1 for the Germans.
1st minute: Andi Wolff's first save after a throw from the backcourt.
The hall is already here!
1st minute: It starts in Cologne with the European Championship game between Germany and Croatia!
Atmosphere in Cologne: The German fans are thrilled about the DHB team's entry into the semi-finals © IMAGO/Joaquim Ferreira
Update from January 24th, 8:20 p.m.:
Great atmosphere in Cologne: After France's 35:32 against Hungary and Iceland's 26:24 against Austria, Germany is in the semi-finals of the home European Championship.
World champion Denmark is the opponent on Friday evening.
Now it's time to conclude the intermediate round against Croatia.
The tension is almost tangible!
Handball European Championship: Germany against Croatia live - Kastening back in the DHB squad
Update from January 24th, 7:55 p.m.:
Timo Kastening is back in the German DHB squad.
As the German Handball Association announced on X (formerly Twitter), the MT Melsungen right winger is back in the squad after recovering from an infection against Croatia.
Everyone is fit and ready for action.
Update from January 24th, 7:40 p.m.:
Now we can of course eagerly await how goalkeeper Andreas Wolff (Kielce), playmaker Juri Knorr (Rhein-Neckar Löwen), defense chief and DHB captain Johannes Golla (Flensburg) and their colleagues will perform Present Croatia.
The hall in Cologne is of course sold out with almost 20,000 spectators.
And the fans are expecting a good performance from the 2016 European champions.
After France's victory against Hungary: DHB team is in the semi-finals early
Update from January 24th, 7:25 p.m.:
The DHB team is in the semi-finals of the 2024 home European Championship. And that before the German national team goes on the record against Croatia this evening.
The intermediate round game between Olympic champions France and Hungary has just ended.
The French, who have already qualified, won 35:32 (20:18) in Cologne, which is why the Hungarians remain third in the main round group and can no longer push Germany out of second place.
In the semi-finals, the reigning handball world champion Denmark awaits the team of national coach Alfred Gislason on Friday (8.30 p.m., here in the live ticker).
The Scandinavians are the top favorites and also won the 2019 and 2021 World Championships.
The venue is again Cologne.
France and the reigning European champions Sweden will contest the second semi-final in the Lanxess Arena (6 p.m.).
Handball European Championship 2024: Main round group I before Germany against Croatia
Nation: |
Games: |
Gates: |
Points: |
1. France |
5 |
174:154 |
10 |
2. Germany |
4 |
113:107 |
5 |
3. Hungary |
5 |
151:151 |
4 |
4. Austria |
5 |
132:138 |
4 |
5. Iceland |
5 |
142:152 |
4 |
6. Croatia |
4 |
116:126 |
1 |
Handball European Championship: Germany against Croatia in the live ticker - the balance speaks for the DHB opponents
Update from January 24th, 7:10 p.m.:
Germany against Croatia - what duels have there been in handball in this constellation!
The direct comparison speaks for the team from the Balkans.
Of the 14 encounters so far, the Croatians have won eight, the DHB team won five times and there was a draw once.
The last time the two national teams faced each other at a major tournament was in the main round of the 2020 European Championship.
The Croatians won the second round in Vienna, Austria, 25:24, moved into the semi-finals instead of Germany and ultimately became European runners-up.
Update from January 24th, 6:55 p.m.:
Handball Germany is worried about the use of Timo Kastening this Wednesday evening.
The right winger from MT Melsungen is also one of the dangerous assets in this tournament, but had to rest in the Hungary game (35:28) due to an infection.
National coach Alfred Gislason reported that the 28-year-old from Lower Saxony had a “fever”.
Is it enough for the European Championship game tonight?
Handball European Championship: Germany against Croatia in the live ticker - Austria loses against Iceland
Update from January 24th, 6:45 p.m.:
The tension is already palpable.
Germany could be in the semi-finals of the European Handball Championship before their own game in the evening (8.30 p.m.).
Because: Austria had already lost 24:26 (8:14) against Iceland in Cologne in the afternoon.
Team Austria remains fourth in main round group I. The first two teams in the intermediate round rankings advance one round.
Third-placed Hungary trailed the already qualified French 18:20 at the break.
If France wins, the DHB team will already be qualified before Alfred Gislason's boys grab the ball themselves.
Germany against Croatia in the live ticker: A cracking handball duel is taking place in Cologne
First report from January 24th:
Cologne - It's a cracking duel in international handball: Germany against Croatia is happening again this evening (8.30 p.m.).
For the DHB team it's about the semi-finals at the European Championships in their own country.
After the convincing 35:28 (18:17) against Hungary, the German national team has a place in the semi-finals of the 2024 European Handball Championship in its own hands.
Fight for the semi-finals: The DHB team has to score points in Cologne
It's ready: The showdown will take place in front of almost 20,000 spectators in Cologne's Lanxess Arena, one of the six European Championship venues in Germany.
Important: Here, the DHB squad around the outstanding goalkeeper Andreas Wolff recently defeated the Hungarians and, after being four goals behind, still managed a draw and thus a point against Austria (22:22).
Support in the DHB team: Andreas Wolff at the 2024 European Handball Championships in Germany.
© IMAGO/Laci Perenyi
Germany against Croatia in the live ticker: national coach Alfred Gislason warns
The national coach gave an obligatory but even more vehement warning about the robust Croatians, who were world champions in 2003 and runners-up in Europe in 2008, 2010 and 2020. “It will be a very dangerous game,” explained Icelander Alfred Gislason before the game in the Rhineland: “For We care about everything.
The Croatians can no longer make it to the semi-finals, but like us they have a relatively young team with three or four very ripped older players who are all world class.
Knowing them, they will pull through.”
These sophisticated players undoubtedly include the powerful backcourt shooters Domagoj Duvnjak (35 years old, THW Kiel) and Igor Karacic (35, Industria Kielce from Poland) as well as the tricky right winger Mario Sostaric (31, pick Szeged from Hungary).
Who will prevail in this handball classic this time?
Handball European Championship 2024: Germany against Croatia in the live ticker
Follow the handball clash between Germany and Croatia this evening from 8:30 p.m. here in the live ticker.
(pm)