11.04.2019, 12:28 QUALIFIERS REVIEW 3: Montenegro earned their first ever win against Denmark, while North Macedonia claimed a one-goal victory over Iceland |
||
Flawless Montenegro overthrow world champions
Before Wednesday night, Montenegro had never beaten Denmark, and they had not won a match in the EHF EURO 2020 Qualifiers. Both situations changed at the final whistle of their round 3 encounter in Podgorica, when Montenegro secured a one-goal win that also signified Denmark’s first defeat in the qualification phase. During the game, neither side were able to create a significant advantage. Iceland did see some early hope, as they took a 7:3 lead by the 10th minute and stayed in front, 9:6, at the end of the first quarter. But North Macedonia found their rhythm and were level, 17:17, at the break. The second half only briefly saw a difference of more than one goal and a battle ensued to the buzzer. With seconds remaining, the score was still level, 33:33, before a penalty was awarded to North Macedonia. After a tense 60 minutes, it all came down to the final penalty, which Manaskov missed before converting the rebound.
GROUP 8
World Championship 2019 MVP Mikkel Hansen was kept considerably quieter than usual, tallying just two goals in the first half – though he brought his final total to eight. But that was not enough for Denmark to take the two points. Montenegro simply had a better day and celebrated their first win ever against the Scandinavian powerhouse.
TEXT: Courtney Gahan / jw |
||
Content Copyright by the European Handball Federation and EHF Marketing (c) 1994-2024 |