Handball/Luxembourg: Portugal imposes its law on La Coque
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Handball/LuxembourgPortugal imposes its law on La Coque
The Luxembourg handball players lost at home to Portugal in the Euro 2024 qualifiers (21-32).
Facing a very high level team, Luxembourg suffered another defeat in the Euro 2024 qualifiers. It was predictable by accessing this second phase for which it had never qualified, but the Grand Duchy has defended his skin dearly and offered a better face than Wednesday in North Macedonia (38-24).
Against an athletically very superior Portugal, the Luxembourgers initially showed great resistance in defense, well helped by goalkeepers in great shape. Chris Auger thus chained a double stop at close range against Victor Iturriza and Leonel Fernandes (7th), while Mika Herrmann, as soon as he entered, diverted a penalty from Diogo Branquinho with the left foot (23rd).
Two games against Turkey
But the Luxembourg attack had all the trouble in the world to break through the Portuguese wall, having to settle for low-risk long shots. Faced with opponents accustomed to the biggest competitions, the partners of Tommy Wirtz then ran out of steam, the less disciplined in defense and guilty of losing balls offering easy goals.
Nikola Malesevic’s men, however, ended up with a nice last-ditch effort with five goals scored in a row, just to reduce the score a little.
Luxembourg will continue its campaign in March 2023, with two games against Turkey, also heavily beaten by Portugal (44-27) and North Macedonia (27-36).
(Tom Vergez)