No more EM “miracle”
France sobers up Austria after a great fight
January 22, 2024, 7:34 p.m
The German national handball team can make it to the semi-finals at the home European Championships on its own: France had to work hard against the sensational team Austria before the favorites finally achieved a victory that was so important from a German perspective.
The first step for the German national handball team on the way to the semi-finals of the home European Championship has been taken: With a hard-fought 33:28 victory over rivals Austria, record world champion France gave the DHB team its sporting destiny back into its own Hand. After the disappointing 22:22 against the surprise team Austria last Saturday, Germany was dependent on help. If the host wins against Hungary in the evening (8.30 p.m./ZDF and in the live ticker on ntv.de) and against Croatia on Wednesday, they will definitely be in the semi-finals.
The Lanxess Arena in Cologne was almost completely full at the start of the game, and the German team wasn’t even in the hall yet. The French were able to enjoy a home game atmosphere; every goal and every ball won by the Olympic champion was celebrated by the audience. The starting position was known to everyone: If Austria, which had not lost against the major handball powers Croatia (28:28), Spain (30:30) and Germany (22:22), achieves another “miracle” (like the local press has). had celebrated their entry into the main round), the German path to the semi-finals would become much more rocky.
And they all had to worry for a long, long time who relied on France: the outsiders were leading 5-2 after a few minutes. It was only after just under a quarter of an hour that France took the lead for the first time with a score of 9:8. Although Austria’s goalkeeper Constantin Möstl, who had driven the German team to 22 missed throws, was no longer a factor after the initial phase and only came back onto the field in the final minutes, the outsider could not be shaken off. At 15:15 they had equalized a three-goal deficit – and went into halftime with a 16:15 lead.
After the break, it only took a few minutes before the favorites took control of the game again – and got things on the right track for the German team: Austria too often found no means to counter the favorites’ improved defense. There was great celebration when France stopped Austria’s powerful pivot Tobias Wagner with a three-man formation around superstar Nikola Karabatic. And yet: Austria also made up a significant deficit in the second half, after 43 minutes the score was 22:22 – and the big tremors from a German perspective began again.
Then Samir Bellahcene set the mood: France’s goalkeeper in the service of THW Kiel held ball after ball and repeatedly animated the audience to great emotions. Home game in Cologne. In the end, Bellahcene had 16 saves, France’s top scorers were superstar Dika Mem and Ludovic Fabregas with seven goals.
France was only able to pull away at the end, while Austria, led by long-time Bundesliga professional Robert Weber, clung to the dream of a really big sensation for a long time. But the French star ensemble, which is one of the big favorites for the title and secured their place in the semi-finals early with this victory, did not allow another Austrian handball miracle. After the final siren, Austria, which had triggered a handball “explosion” through its performances at home, as right winger Robert Weber described it, was seen off from the hall with a big round of applause.