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On the opening day of matches from phase 1 of the Women's EHF EURO 2022 qualifiers, Kosovo earned a 30:21 win in group A against Cyprus. As hosts of the round-robin tournament in Prishtina, there may have been some added pressure for Kosovo – but the team showed no signs of it as they cruised to victory.
Portugal recorded a resounding 38:14 victory against Luxembourg. Portugal, whose only appearance at the final tournament of a Women’s EHF EURO came in 2008, conceded just four goals in the second half of their impressive win.
WOMEN’S EHF EURO 2022 QUALIFIERS – PHASE 1
GROUP A
Kosovo vs Cyprus 30:21 (14:9)
- Kosovo centre back Arlinda Hajdari scored seven goals from seven shots, but she had to leave the court with an injury during the second half
- after Marigona Hajdari opened the scoring in the first minute, Kosovo led throughout the match and had built a clear advantage by half-time
- Magdalini Papa (11 goals) finished as the game's top scorer but had limited support from her teammates. Only five other players scored for Cyprus in the game
- Kosovo will meet Luxembourg at 19:30 CEST on Friday, while Cyprus will face Portugal at 17:00 CEST
Portugal vs Luxembourg 38:14 (18:10)
- with left wing Carolina Monteiro scoring three early goals and Luxembourg suffering four turnovers, Portugal opened a 5:1 lead after seven minutes
- Luxembourg levelled the score at 6:6 and 7:7, but Portugal's strong finish to the first half, which included a 5:0 run, saw them hold an eight-goal lead after 30 minutes
- after the break, Portugal’s superior defence and successful fast breaks settled the outcome of the match. They enjoyed a 12:1 run at the beginning of the second half to hold an unassailable 30:11 lead with 12 minutes remaining
- Tina Welter (four goals) was the only Luxembourg player to score more than two goals, while Carolina Monteiro and Patricia Da Silva both scored five goals for Portugal
TEXT: Jamie Whittington
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