Portugal lost this Friday in Luxembourg to Germany by 30-28, with 18-13 at half-time, in a private preparatory game framed in the stage that the Portuguese national handball team is carrying out in the grand duchy.

After the crushing victory over Luxembourg, by 39-21, two days ago, this was the second game entered at this stage, with a new confrontation with the Germans still missing, on Sunday, but now in Dusseldorf, Germany.

The team led by Paulo Jorge Pereira came to be losing by nine goals difference in the second half, when the score reached 24-15. Then he recovered well thanks to an effective game when he was outnumbered and an excellent display from goalkeeper Capdeville.

Alexandre Cavalcanti scored the first, at Coque Arena, but the Germans responded quickly and the game went until 2-2, when the Germans scored three unanswered goals, leading by 5-2.

The Portuguese still reached the 10th minute at a minimum disadvantage, at 6-5, after which the Germans again extended the advance to three points, which led Paulo Pereira to request a ‘time-out’ and, later, to place in the Gustavo Capdeville’s goal.

In an ‘unstoppable’ phase, Germany moved away again, with 14-8 on the scoreboard, before Portugal managed to almost ‘touch’ again, with 14-12.

In the final minutes of the first-half, Germany won a partial of 5-1 and went to rest to win by 18-13.

Portugal re-entered very badly and in 10 minutes in the second half conceded a partial of 6-2, which led the coach to stop the game, again, and to rectify the scheme.

Around the quarter of an hour of the second half, the Portuguese elaborated their recovery and even reached the minimum disadvantage, 26-25, with Salvador Salvador scoring.

Victor Iturriza failed on the counterattack which would have been equal, after which, in the final moments of the match, Portugal conceded a partial of four goals.

The Portuguese even mitigated the defeat and closed the match in 30-28, with the last goal being scored by André Sousa.

Miguel Alves, with five goals, was the Portuguese team’s top scorer.

Even before the European competition, a Portuguese team will be in the Yellow Cup, along with Switzerland, Montenegro and Ukraine. The games take place in Winterthur from the 7th to the 9th of January next.