The German handball national team kicked off the 2026 European Championships with a 30:27 win over Austria. In front of 5,820 spectators in Herning, the team delivered a strong defensive performance, though the offense left room for improvement. Captain Johannes Golla was named player of the match.
In Herning, Denmark, the DHB team under coach Alfred Gislason won the opening match of the 2026 Handball-EM against Austria 30:27 (12:8). The game started with a dominant German defense that limited the opponents to just eight goals in the first half. Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff made twelve saves and stopped a crucial penalty in the closing stages.
Captain Johannes Golla scored seven goals and was named "Player of the Match." Lukas Zerbe converted a penalty to make it 28:25, and Renars Uscins sealed the win with a Kempatrick goal to 29:25. Juri Knorr and Miro Schluroff injected fresh energy into the attack. Despite Austria's comeback to 27:25 in the 57th minute, Germany stabilized and won with a 0:3 run at the end.
Wolff had previously criticized Austria's style as "anti-handball," underscoring the patient game. Gislason praised the defense: "It was outstanding, it makes me happy." Zerbe summed up: "A typical first game with many waves." Austria's Lukas Hutecek saw a positive: "We've seen we can play at eye level with top nations."
Rune Dahmke was scratched from the squad shortly before, and Nils Lichtlein was out injured. The arena was only sparsely filled, with the upper tier empty. Next opponents: Serbia on Saturday and Spain on Monday in Group A.
