The German handball players started with a confident victory at the Olympic qualification tournament in Neu-Ulm. The DHB selection won against Slovenia 31:25.
The best German thrower in front of 4,026 spectators was backcourt player Julia Maidhof with nine goals. The victory was particularly valuable because Slovenia was considered a serious competitor in the group of four. Two of the four participating teams will qualify. DHB sports director Axel Kromer spoke of a “great start”, which gave “security” for the next game.
In the second game of the home tournament, the selection of the German Handball Association (DHB) will face Montenegro on Saturday, which can be seen in the live stream at sportschau.de. It’s also against Paraguay.
Early time penalties against Germany
Even before kick-off there was good news for the DHB selection. Co-captain Alina Grijseels reported fit on time just a week after suffering an ankle injury in the European Championship qualifier against Ukraine. The French legionnaire had to get going straight away in the fast-paced opening phase because Emily Bölk and Xenia Smits, who were in the backcourt, received time penalties early on.
The DHB team started powerfully and led by three goals for the first time at 6:3 after a good ten minutes. However, a few lapses in concentration allowed the Slovenians to equalize within a few minutes.
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However, the sixth place in the World Cup was not impressed by this and continued to act purposefully in attack. The reward was a renewed three-goal lead (11:8), which was extended to five goals four minutes before the break. Goalkeeper Katharina Filter played a major role in this, giving the German team the security they needed with numerous saves.
Filter strong support in the goal
After the change, both teams started nervously and made a number of mistakes. The hosts’ lead remained constant at three to four goals. In addition to Maidhof, left winger Johanna Stockschläder was particularly convincing in attack, as she put all of her throws into the goal after a first failed attempt. In the final phase, the German team pulled ahead again and was ahead goal by goal.
Filter continued to provide strong support between the posts, and the attacks were mostly completed in a concentrated manner at the front. Success in the duel with the Slovenians was no longer in danger. With another win against Montenegro, the DHB selection can make the trip to the summer games perfect on Saturday.
