The Serbian handball team pulled off an unreal feat in the second round of the group stage of the European Championship, as they defeated the German national team 30:27 in the decisive match, thus avoiding the “already foreseen” elimination from the continental tournament.

After suffering a defeat to Spain in the first round, the Serbian national handball team was practically already written off ahead of this clash with Germany. The Panzer team, the reigning Olympic silver medalists, were clear favorites against the Eagles, but our players – and after trailing by four goals in the first half – pulled off a heroic feat, won 30:27, and thus avoided the “already foreseen” elimination from the European Championship in Denmark!

Serbia’s players began making cheap mistakes in attack right at the start of the first half, and the Germans mostly converted the counterattacks that resulted from those mistakes into goals.

Had the Eagles’ goalkeeper Dušan Milosavljev not been so inspired and composed, had he not denied the Germans several clear chances and saved several nine-meter shots – such as the one when he clipped the ball with his heel and sent it over the goal – the Germans would have gone into the break with a much bigger advantage.

Juri Knorr played like a man possessed, organizing attacks, scoring goals and even delivering an assist through the legs – probably one of the most beautiful since the start of the tournament – and he was closely followed by Miro Šurlof and Franz Semper.

Vukašin Vorkapić and Dragan Pešmalbek were the most in form in the Serbian team and combined for seven goals in the first 30 minutes, managing on several occasions to bring our team back to level terms, but it was not enough; in the very finish of the first half, the Eagles seemed to lose concentration, and Germany went into the break with a colossal four-goal lead.

Serbia looked defensively a bit more solid in the second half, even scoring two quick goals at the start to halve the deficit, but Germany did not allow them to surprise them and complete a comeback.

Around the 40th minute, Serbia, primarily thanks to phenomenal finishing in attack and goalkeeping brilliance from Dušan Milosavljev, equalized at 20:20, and shortly afterward heroically took a two-goal lead.

The Germans then tried to swing the momentum back to their side, but Serbia’s defense looked better with each passing minute, while the Panzer attack appeared increasingly unconvincing and ineffective.

The decisive moment of the match came at a score of 26:25 for Serbia, when Knorr scored a goal to equalize. However, the German head coach called a timeout at that very moment, and after a brief video review the goal was disallowed.

The Olympic silver medalists then completely collapsed, and Kojadinović and Pešmalbek unpacked Serbia’s bags, giving it the opportunity to fight for a place in the next round.

The decisive match is scheduled for January 19, starting at 6 p.m., when Serbia faces Austria.

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Source:Sportal, Foto: Eibner-Pressefoto/Marcel von Fehrn /Profimedia

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