Germany will start the main round group II in Bratislava with two points, after extending their winning streak at the EHF EURO 2022 to three wins, with an impressive performance against Poland, 30:23.
The two sides will continue the tournament in the same venue, the Ondrej Nepela Aréna in Bratislava, where they will be joined by Spain, Russia, Sweden and Norway for a mouthwatering main round.
GROUP D
Poland vs Germany 23:30 (12:15)
- Germany’s back line worked like a charm in the first half, as right back Christoph Steinert scored six of his team’s first 10 goals, while Philipp Weber and Julian Koster, who was named the Grundfos Player of the Match, added another three goals each
- Steinert, who had played two games before the EHF EURO for Germany, scored nine times in this game, taking his overall tally in the competition to 17 goals on his 32nd birthday
- a 6:1 run that spanned between the 33rd and the 46th minutes enabled Germany to open an unassailable six-goal lead, which served as the backbone of their third win at the EHF EURO 2022
- experienced goalkeeper Johannes Bitter, who joined the German side only a few hours before the game and was their only shot-stopper, made six saves and frustrated Poland in crucial moments, especially during the second half, when he shut the goal for six minutes and 12 seconds
- Germany extended their unbeaten streak against Poland to seven games, with the last Polish win coming in the IHF Men’s World Championship 2015 qualification phase 2, in June 2014
Poland crumble at crucial moment
Despite boasting an undermanned team, with seven positive Covid-19 cases, Germany stood strong and displayed amazing grit and team spirit, taking a crucial win against Poland. Therefore, Germany swept their way to the top of group D, taking wins against Austria, Belarus and Poland to start the main round group II with two points.
It is hard to put the finger on exactly what Poland missed on Tuesday in Bratislava, as their attacking efficiency was not disastrous, stopping at 62 per cent. Yet the key misses made in crucial moments of the game by right wing Arkadiusz Moryto or back Szymon Sicko were enough to give Germany a helping hand in their win. Poland will start the main round with zero points and will have a mountain to climb when they face Norway, Sweden, Russia and Spain over the next week.
