The German handballers won 32:30 against Portugal at the European Championship in Herning despite a weak first half, keeping their semi-final dream alive. Key performers were Miro Schluroff and goalkeeper Andi Wolff. Next opponent is Norway.
In Herning, the German handballers started the EM main round with a 32:30 win (11:11) over Portugal. Despite numerous errors in the first half, where they committed nine technical mistakes, they improved after the break. Coach Alfred Gislason summed up: "We made nine technical errors before the break, more than in the entire game against Spain. Everyone was inhibited, there was a lot of stress, too much overthinking in the game."
The defense was solid with Tom Kieseler and Matthes Langhoff, while Andi Wolff saved 15 shots overall, including power saves against Luis Frade and Antonio Areia. The attack was sluggish, Juri Knorr had a poor start, but he returned after halftime and created pace with Miro Schluroff. Schluroff scored crucially, including into the corner at 15:15 and under pressure at 25:23.
Captain Johannes Golla received a red card after hitting "Kiko" Costa in the face, which Gislason called incomprehensible. Lukas Zerbe sealed the 31:29 with a penalty 38 seconds before the end. "We stayed cool in crunch time, I'm happy," Zerbe said. Portugal's coach Paulo Pereira saw it as physical: "Germany had one more day to recover. And then Wolff is just Wolff."
Schluroff emphasized: "A huge burden has been lifted from me. This win could be decisive for the group outcome." In front of 6,145 spectators at the Jyske Bank Boxen, German fans outnumbered the Portuguese. The next test against Norway is on Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
