Handball players want to add to the EM against Austria
Handball players want to add to the EM against Austria
A start has been made. With the success against Belarus, the German handball players have created a good starting position at the European Championship. Now comes Austria.
Bratislava (dpa) – The tricky opening task at the European Championships with the 33:29 win against Belarus had barely been completed when the German handball players were already looking at the next opponent.
“It was a successful start, even if not everything was great. This win helps the team, but we have to stay flexible and tackle the task against Austria in the same way, »said national coach Alfred Gislason before the second preliminary round game this Sunday (6 p.m. / ARD).
the initial situation: If the German team wins, they again have four points in their account. Should Poland then defeat the Belarusians, the DHB selection would be in the main round early. “I hope that we’ll get the next two points,” said backcourt player Kai Häfner.
The weaknesses: The defence, the showpiece for years, the war against Belarus was not up to par for a half. “We didn’t get the opposing pivot and the outside players under control at all, so the goalkeepers didn’t get into the game well either,” Gislason summed up. That should not be repeated against the Austrians. “We have to be able to be there right from the start,” appealed captain Johannes Golla.
The strengths: Especially from the backcourt – otherwise often the weak point in the German game – the DHB team needs a lot of pressure and goal danger. Kai Häfner (8 goals) and his Melsungen club colleague Julius Kühn (6) could hardly be stopped. “In my opinion, Kai played absolutely brilliantly. Not only his number of goals but also his number of assists were very strong. That was probably the best game I’ve seen from him temporarily – and I’ve seen quite a few games,” said Gislason.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220115-99-717529/2
Executive Committee of the German Handball Federation