At home, Germany were seen as favourites against Belarus, but they faced tough opposition and ultimately ended the game in a 24:24 draw.

Now Henk Groener's team has three points after two games, while the Belarusians earned their first point in the qualification.

GROUP 3

Germany vs Belarus 24:24 (12:13)

• Karyna Ezhykava's goal lifted Belarus to a surprising 13:12 lead at half-time
• the tight fight continued into the second half, as none of the rivals could establish a more than two-goal lead
• 102 seconds from full-time, Julia Maidhof scored the last goal of the match, securing a draw for the Germans
• Maidhof stood out with ten goals in the game, including six from penalty shots; she also missed two seven-meters
• ten players netted for Belarus, with right wing Natallia Vasileuskaya being the best with five goals

Goalkeeping duo helped Belarus

Both goalkeepers did a good job for the visitors – Valiantsina Vaitulevich made a number of saves before the break, and Yuliya Kuntsevich, who entered the game midway through the second half, also left a very good impression.

Their effort did not help Belarus to claim their first-ever win against the Germans, yet a draw is also quite an achievement for the Eastern European side. In seven previous mutual encounters, the Belarusians earned only one draw, losing six times.