Germany kept their hopes alive for one of the top two spots in the “group of death” by defeating Iceland in Cologne with a score of 26:24. At the main stage of Group 1 of the European Handball Championship in Germany, only France holds four points.

In a packed Lankses Arena, the home team managed to secure a win against the “Fishermen” in a tightly contested match, with neither side leading by more than two goals. The Germans led 11:10 at halftime, but Iceland took the lead at 21:20 before the home crowd helped Germany regain the advantage.

Knor was the standout player for Germany, scoring six goals, while Smarason matched that tally for Iceland. Germany now has two points following their earlier victory over France, 33:30.

In a classic handball clash, the “experts” managed to overcome the strong resistance of the new Croatia, winning 34:32 (18:18) despite some challenges…

Due to high temperatures, Croatia couldn’t field captain Domagoj Duvnjak against France, along with injured player Ivan Martinović, which made things significantly tougher for Nikola Karabatić and his teammates.

Mem topped the scoring charts for the victors with six goals, while Nikola Karabatić added five more, reaching a record 289 goals in European championship history! Dominik Kuzmanović was Croatia’s best performer with 13 saves (42 percent), and Srna contributed six goals.

Crucial mistakes proved costly for the Croats, with 16 errors—including five technical ones.

Croatian national team member Martinović honed his skills in the Austrian handball system, and its strength was on display in Germany, where Austria triumphed over Hungary 30:29 (17:17) to secure three points in Group 1, continuing the race for top positions that earn medals and Olympic qualification for Paris.

The team’s star player, Bilik, scored eight goals, while Hutaček and Wagner each added six. The next match against the host, Germany, will be pivotal for Aleš Pajovič’s squad.

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