28.04.2021, 09:10
Montenegro climb the table with key win

GROUP 8 REVIEW: Montenegro recorded an important victory against Kosovo, 27:22, that took them from fourth to second on the table

Montenegro recorded a hard-fought 27:22 win against a determined Kosovo to wrap up Wednesday night’s EHF EURO 2022 qualifiers action for group 8 and keep their hopes of reaching the final tournament alive.

The victory saw Montenegro jump from fourth position on the table to second, with four points now.

GROUP 8
Kosovo vs Montenegro 22:27 (10:13)

• it was a match key to keeping their EURO hopes alive and Montenegro delivered a top performance where they never allowed their hosts the advantage
• the last time Kosovo were close was at 15:16 in the 40th minute, before Montenegro pulled away to a clearer lead and held it to the final whistle
• the match saw a level goalkeeper battle, with Nebojsa Simic tallying 10 saves for Montenegro and Haris Berisha recording nine for Kosovo
• although the home side did not let Montenegro create too clear a lead, the outcome was decided when the guests were in front 24:20 with five minutes on the clock
• the top scorer of the match was Kosovo’s Drenit Tahirukaj, with seven goals

Montenegro close in on EHF EURO 2022 berth

With two games remaining and four points in their account, which places them one point ahead of both Kosovo and Romania, Montenegro are in a strong position to clinch group 8’s second berth at the final tournament.

Kosovo and Romania both have one game left, so Montenegro have more of a chance to build on their points. Montenegro will play Sweden on Friday in Podgorica then finish their qualifiers campaign against Romania on Sunday.

TEXT: EHF / Courtney Gahan