Handball: Germany qualifies for the 2023 World Cup

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Are at the 2023 World Cup: Simon Ernst (left), Johannes Golla and the DHB men

Photo: IMAGO/Marco Wolf / IMAGO/wolf-sportfoto

Germany's handball men have qualified for the 2023 World Cup.

The team of national coach Alfred Gislason won the play-off second leg against the Faroe Islands 33:27 (15:16) and thus secured participation in the World Cup finals in January 2023 in Poland and Sweden.

The top scorers on Saturday evening in front of 1750 spectators in Torshavn were playmaker Luca Witzke and left winger Lukas Mertens with five goals each.

The team had already won the first leg 34:26.

After Wednesday's fairly emphatic but lackluster win, Gislason demanded another win – and a significant improvement in performance – from his stars ahead of the trip to the Faroe Islands.

But Captain Johannes Golla and Co. didn't keep up with the latter for a long time.

Break deficit with the outsider

Whether in the defensive 6:0 cover or a more offensive 3:2:1 variant: The Faroe Islands had little trouble getting their goals in the first half and even took the lead for the first time just before the break (15:14).

Andreas Wolff, who was still so strong in the first leg, left his goal at the break.

Till Klimpke was allowed to take his place in the second section.

After the change of sides, the German team finally took command.

Because Gislason's team was now playing more calmly and the opponent was becoming increasingly unfocused, Germany turned the game around within a few minutes.

The games against the Faroe Islands clearly showed that there is still plenty to do for Gislason and his team before the World Cup tournament in January 2023.

However, there isn't much time for that: the next training camp is in the fall, and there won't be a competitive game until the new year.

At the last World Cup in 2021 in Egypt, Germany finished twelfth, it was the worst place in the 25 tournament participations so far.

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