The Icelandic recipe worked versus Slovenia too: Hungary's big game is reversed! Another brilliant victory for the Hungarian men's handball team at the European Championship! In the second match of the semi-finals, we defeated Slovenia, unbeaten, 29-28 in a revolutionary final-minute clash. We've tried the recipe in the last group match against Iceland: a stunning sequel after a weaker first half, redundant defense, and brilliant defenses by Roland Mikler. Besides Bence Bánhidi, Patrik Ligetvári was the winner, but others like Bence Nagy or Dominik Máthé did fantastic.

Key match - Federal Captain István Gulyás called it the Slovenia-Hungary clash in the second round of the semi-final European Championship in Austrian-Norwegian-Swedish handball. In the first match of the semi-finals, we were 36-29 against Norway, the first defeat of the tournament in Group E with a fantastic performance, taking first place with a score of two points for the young Hungarian team.

Icelandic recipe worked versus Slovenia

Behind the Slovenians was a hundred percent performance, we trusted that this great series will break now. The two teams have a hard time surprising each other - we thought before the match, as the Slovenian captain Ljubomir Vranjes also led the Hungarian team and many of our opponents play in Hungarian clubs. Still, the Hungarians seem to have succeeded…

Key match here, at high stakes, we also trusted István Gulyás that the Hungarian team would continue to play as if they were not oppressed by any mental burden.

The match started with a quick change of goal, Bánhidi's first goal. We could hold our lead for a few minutes, the Slovenians took the lead in the 10th minute. Unfortunately, there was no Hungarian remedy for Mackovsek, Zarabec, Cehte or Dolenec shots, and neither did Mikler Székely in the middle of the half. The feats were now seen from the Slovenian Ferlin. The Hungarian team had a four-goal handicap and narrowed the gap to the most successful Hungarian, Bánhidi, at the end of the half, but the Slovenians had ten seconds to answer through Zarabec. So we turned 16-13 into the second set.

It was obvious that we wouldn't have a chance to score points without improving our defenses. Accordingly, the Mikler feats arrived and Bánhidi continued to score, so the Slovenian advantage began to melt rapidly. In the 40th minute - who else? - Bence Bánhidi equalized (17-17)! This brilliant start evoked a brilliant second half against Iceland. The Slovenians scored once in ten minutes, a huge change from the first half. Bence Nagy took the lead in the 43rd minute (18-19), and after Bánhidi's second hit we were two. And it wasn't over! Ligetvár's score was 21-18 in the 45th minute! Then Slovenia began to recover, thanks in large part to the Blagotins. But we could keep the one-two advantage in a big fight. In the 52nd minute, the Hungarian Ligetvári bomb hit the Hungarian lead again with a three-goal lead (22-25). There were rapid goal changes, and the Slovenians were forced to turn their hair so that they couldn't get closer to the Hungarians with two goals. It was two minutes before the end (27-28), but Patrik Ligetvári finished the next Hungarian attack with another beautiful goal! The last Slovenian timeout came before the last minute. Forty seconds before the end, Domenec sold a seven meter (28-29), and then came the Hungarian timeout. The last Hungarian attack did not end with a goal, but also with the Slovenian ball. The one-goal Hungarian advantage for the shot is left!

The Hungarian national team has once again proved its hold and is able to translate from a beat. It is difficult to find a decent indicator of performance in the second half. Few people thought before the European Championships that winning the Olympic qualifier and qualifying for the semi-finals at this stage of the tournament would still be an achievable goal. Swedes win silver medals at last Eb ...

European Handball Championship, men
Semifinals, Group 2, Round 2
Slovenia - Hungary 28-29 (16-13) Malmö Arena, Referee: Óscar Raluy López, Ángel Sabroso Ramírez (Spanish)