- At the European Handball Championship in Ljubljana, Slovenia, the initial euphoria has evaporated.
- Top-flight Norway played cat and mouse with the underdogs, inflicting a 38-21 smack on them.
- The Swiss women will contest the preliminary round and the presumed final performance on Tuesday against Croatia (from 5:50 p.m. live on SRF Zwei).
In its second appearance in the glaring spotlight at a European Championship finals, the Swiss national team was unable to match the spirited performance of two days ago. Despite a 28:33 against the Hungarians, Martin Albertsen’s protégés had earned top marks in their baptism of fire in the role as clear but stubborn outsiders.
When the tournament continued in Ljubljana, the SHV selection had to recognize the strength of the Norwegians without envy. The two-time Olympic champions (2008 and 2012) and defending European champions were also much better on paper. In contrast to Hungary, they were able to bring this effectively onto the floor and, thanks to 4 points from 2 games, have already played their way into the main round early.
Legend:
Norway could not be stopped
For the Swiss there was nothing to get in the 2nd European Championship game.
Getty Images/Sanjin Strukic/Pixsell/MB Media
Never found the step
The Swiss women never found a recipe and sometimes received object lessons. Just once – to 1:1 – they were able to equalize the score again thanks to Mia Emmenegger. Afterwards the “Norge” train had left.
At the break, the Albertsen team was already 10 goals behind (9:19). By the end, the mortgage had grown to a difference of 17 hits. In the undisputed 21:38 verdict, the opening shooter Emmenegger was the most effective thrower with 5 successful shots.
Only theoretical chances
The Swiss would do well to shake off this bankruptcy as soon as possible. Because on Tuesday they will continue against Croatia or stay in the tournament. Two points are a prerequisite for even being able to intervene in the fight for the main round qualification.
The top 3 of each group get the ticket. Since it can be assumed that Norway will also beat Hungary at the end of the preliminary round, if Switzerland were to win, three teams would each have 2 points on their account. A threefold tie would result in a lot of calculations – the team with the worst goal difference or the worst result from the direct duels is eliminated.