To maintain their hopes for first place in the qualifying group for the European Championship, Montenegrin handball players face a critical challenge today in Tatabanja, where they must secure a victory against Hungary. The match is set to begin at 17:30.

The Hungarian team demonstrated their prowess on Wednesday at the “M:tel Morača Hall,” prevailing 29:26. They validated their status as favorites, despite Montenegro’s strong desire to turn the game in their favor. However, errors in attack and defensive lapses marred their efforts at crucial moments.

While the determination of our handball players is unquestionable, a near-perfect performance is essential.

– We’re eager for revenge after that tough loss in “Morača.” The arena was packed, our fans were fantastic, but we didn’t deliver. We aim to maintain the reputation of our hall as an unassailable fortress, but unfortunately, we’ve failed to secure any points in our last few matches here – said goalkeeper Nikola Matović, reflecting on Montenegro’s four consecutive losses at “Morača.”

Nonetheless, Montenegro is on the right trajectory…

– We can’t define this as a disaster or failure. We recognize that Hungary is a formidable national team with substantial investments in handball. They may currently have superior organization compared to us, but the national team must always give 101 percent. We hope to achieve a remarkable victory in Tatabanja – Matović emphasized.

The Hungarians effectively executed their game in “Morača,” unlike Montenegro.

– I believe we faced significant challenges due to our passivity and failure to “push” the fast center. Hungary boasts an exceptional central block and strong players, making it difficult to get past them. Their goalkeeper and defense create a formidable synergy, leading to many of our forced shots missing the target or being saved. In the upcoming match, we need to expand our attack and utilize pivots when Fazekaš and Leka can’t cover each other’s roles – Matović stated.

This involves technical and tactical strategies, but the “lions” are also determined to outshine their opponents in energy.

– I believe we can “outplay” them more, especially since Rošta performed admirably, scoring nine goals. The Hungarian defenders are skilled, and allowing them to penetrate the nine-meter area will surely lead to goals. We must adopt a more vigorous approach, so they reconsider each time they attack us – Matović asserted.

Pivot Miodrag Ćorsović shares the belief that Montenegro can excel, stating that the atmosphere will be less burdensome in Tatabanja compared to Podgorica.

– We all believe we can fight back. It’s uncomfortable losing four consecutive games in “Morača,” which was invincible for 12 years. This latest defeat stings, but we aim to correct our mistakes and push for a win. We have devised some tactical plans, but the Hungarians possess top-tier players, making it challenging against their defense – they are robust and powerful. We will fight hard as always, and perhaps our advantage will come from feeling less pressure, which affected us in Podgorica. We need to remain calm in Hungary; we’re certainly in a favorable position for qualifying for the European Championship – emphasized the sturdy pivot, following in the footsteps of Nemanja Grbović, who retired from the national team.

– We know the legacy left by players like Nemanja and Vuk Lazović. Grbović set a high standard, and we will strive to reach that level – concluded Ćorsović.

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