The national teams of Croatia and Iceland met in Malmö Arena in the first match of Group II of the second phase of the competition at the European Handball Championship. The Croatian handball players led throughout the entire match and in the end celebrated with a score of 29-30.
At the very opening of the match, the goalkeeper of Croatia Dino Slavić he was injured by crashing into the goal post, so that Kuzmanović had to enter the game in the third minute. However, in spite of this, the Croatian handball players came into the match better, and they led after less than nine minutes of the game with three goals difference (4-7).
The Icelanders are the most managed to get closer to one goal behind. With a good mood Kuzmanović at the door and a period of five last minutes without an opponent’s goal, the Croats managed to increase their advantage to 15-19 and with that result they went to rest.
Croatia maintained its advantage in the rest of the match. Iceland with three consecutive hits managed to close to 19-20 in the first 10 minutes of the resumption, but Dagur Sigurdsson’s team did not lose the lead. Croatia is in the wings Martinović, Maraš and Mandić in the attack maintained a difference of a couple of goals, but the Icelanders did not allow a serious separation so that the last minutes of the meeting. brought uncertainty.
Four minutes before the end Slavić comes into play at +2 as well defending seven. Immediately on the next attack Marash he hits from the block for 26-29, and then Kuzmanović defends the Icelander’s attempt, which will eventually prove to be the key to the first victory in the second round.
Croatia will play its next match on Sunday, January 25, against Switzerland (8:30 p.m.).
Iceland: Hallgrimsson, Gustavsson; Rikhardsson, Smarason, Kristjansson, Elisson, Kristjansson, Gislason, Magnusson, Gunnarsson, Vidarsson, Thorkelsson, Arnasson, Einarsson, Thrastarson, Olafsson
Croatia: Kuzmanović, Slavić; D. Mandić, Šoštarić, Načinović, Srna, Cindrić, Martinović, Jelinić, Glavaš, Raužan, Šušnja, Mamić, Lučin, Pavlović, Maraš
(www.jabuka.tv | Photo: Sanjin Strukic/PIXSELL)
