A promising beginning – strong defensively but lacking in offense – leading by two goals and then succumbing to an unexpected block, resulting in the first loss for the Montenegrin handball team at the European Championship.

Following three wins in the initial stage, the “lionesses” were forced to acknowledge the host nation, Hungary, with a score of 26:20 in their opening match of the main round.

“We will analyze the first ten minutes to identify positives, but especially the subsequent 50 minutes to pinpoint what went wrong,” stated Suzana Lazović, head coach of Montenegro.

What transpired in tonight’s game, and where did the momentum from the initial phase vanish?

“Hungary didn’t catch us off guard; we anticipated their strategies, yet we failed to execute our game plan. We need to absorb the lessons learned and maintain a positive outlook – three matches remain, and everything is still possible,” added Lazović.

The head coach highlighted several errors made during the match in Debrecen.

“Such mistakes cannot occur—not just against Hungary, but against any stronger opponent, as those in the main round will capitalize on them severely. We encountered numerous issues; our game plan did not unfold as intended. We also faced technical blunders and missed opportunities, allowing their wingers to exploit angles and stretch our defense,” the coach elaborated.

Less than 20 hours after facing Hungary, the team’s most critical match of the tournament looms – tomorrow (6 p.m.) against the world champions, France. A victory would keep the “lionesses” in contention for the semi-finals, whereas a loss would likely extinguish their hopes of success in Vienna.

“It’s not the first time we’ve had such a tight turnaround, so I have faith in these players—after tonight’s game, I believe we can only improve and make significant strides forward,” concluded Suzana Lazović.

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