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Juri Knorr was the outstanding man for Germany's handball players in the win against Iceland
Photo:
Axel Heimken / dpa
The German handball players have victoriously designed the dress rehearsal for the World Cup.
The DHB selection won on Sunday in Hanover against Iceland, sixth in the European Championship, with 33:31.
(19:14).
In front of 10,043 spectators in the sold-out ZAG Arena, Juri Knorr was the best scorer for the team of national coach Alfred Gíslason with 13 goals.
In addition to Knorr, keeper Andreas Wolff also impressed with numerous saves.
On Saturday there was a narrow 30:31 defeat against the Icelanders in Bremen.
Unlike the day before, when the German team lost a six-goal lead, the DHB selection was wide awake in the second duel with the Icelanders right from the start, but could not break away, although the offensive around playmaker Knorr immediately made steam.
However, the fast Icelanders kept scoring easy goals.
In the middle of the first half, the DHB team, in which Wolff was once again a strong support, pulled away by five goals to make it 14:9 (21st minute).
Shortly before the break, the 31-year-old parried a seven-metre throw, allowing the hosts to take the comfortable cushion into the dressing room.
Wolff gives the defense security
After the change, Joel Birlehm replaced Wolff between the posts.
Otherwise, Gíslason made some personnel changes.
And again the rhythm was lost.
At 23:22 (39 th ) the lead was almost wasted, which prompted the national coach to take an early break.
The equalizer came shortly afterwards.
Now it was a duel at eye level, in which Wolff returned between the posts and gave the defense more security again.
That paid off in the end, because in the final phase the men in front kept their nerve and brought home the win.
The German team continues to prepare for the finals in Poland and Sweden in Barsinghausen, which begin next Wednesday.
On Thursday, the DHB entourage will fly to Katowice, where Asian champions Qatar, Serbia and Algeria are the opponents in the preliminary round.
kjo/dpa
