This Friday, Portugal beat Slovenia 33:30 in the second round of the main handball Euro 2024 stage in Hamburg and is fighting for places that give access to the semi-finals and the pre-Olympic tournament in Paris 2024.
The Portuguese side, who inflicted their first defeat on the Slovenians who ended their four-game winning streak in Germany, reintroduced Martim Costa, who was named the match’s top scorer (MVP) and was also the top scorer with 11 goals. such as goalkeepers Diogo Rema and Gustavo Capdeville.
Portugal led by four goals in the first half, went into the break with a one-goal lead (18-17), and after leading by five at 28-23, allowed their opponents to respond (29-28) before Diogo Rema scored in the final minutes to maintain the lead (33-30).
The match started on equal terms, with the teams taking turns controlling the scoreboard until it was 5-5, when Portugal led by two goals – 7-5, with a partial score of 3-0.
Pedro Portela scored effectively and goalkeeper Gustavo Capdeville found the net, making five saves from 11 shots, two of which were free kicks from seven meters, as the Portuguese side opened up a four-goal lead at 10-6.
Defending well and bringing pace to the game, especially in attacking transitions, Portugal held muscular Slovenia to within four goals to 12-8 thanks to the explosive play of Martim Costa, Francisco Costa and Salvador Salvador.
A series of poor decisions in attack, including a seven-yard free-kick missed by the so far 100 percent efficient Pedro Portela, allowed Slovenia to overturn the deficit and draw 12-12 thanks to Miha Zaraba’s 4-0 win.
Portugal returned to the lead 13–12 thanks to a goal from Martim Costa, who proved to be the “top scorer” of the “Heroes of the Sea” and one of the top scorers in the competition, after which the Slovenian team took a two-goal lead (16-14).
Slovenia’s advantage caused alarm in the Portuguese team, which, at 4-1 with goals from Francisco Costa, Leonel Fernandes, Martin Costa and Antonio Areya, the latter in the last second of the first half, went into the break with a win. 18-17.
The second half began with another goal from Martim Costa, which extended the lead to 19-17, but also with the Portuguese team failing two successive attacking moves to allow Slovenia to erase the difference and draw 20-20.
Goalkeeper Diogo Rema prevented the Slovenian team from taking the lead, after which Portugal, with a partial score of 6-1, made the difference for the first time in the game, 28-23, with goals from Antonio Areya, Leonel Fernandes (2), Francisco Costa and Martim Costa (2) .
With 15 minutes remaining, Slovenia cut the lead to 28-25 from a partial 2-0 lead, taking advantage of a Portuguese attacking error masked by good work from Diogo Rema in goal before captain Rui Silva made it 29-25.
Slovenia came back to the narrowest margin of 29–28 with a partial score of 3–0, but Miguel Martins, Rui Silva and Salvador Salvador opened up a 32–28 lead, helped by four consecutive saves from Diogo Rem, who was shooting 38%. .
With three minutes to play, the Slovenian team did cut the lead to two (32-30), restarting the match and the result, after which Luis Frade closed the scoring with a late goal, making the score 33-30. end. .
Portugal, which won two games in the “main round” against Norway (37-32) and Slovenia (33-30), has four points in Group II, where European champions Sweden will be their next opponent on Sunday.
Game at the Hamburg Arena.
Slovenia – Portugal, 30–33.
At half-time: 18-18.
Referred by the duo of Charlotte Bonaventure and Julie Bonaventure from France, the teams lined up and scored with the following players:
– Slovenia (30): Urban Lesak, Jure Dolenec (2), Stas Jovicic Slatinsek (1), Kristjan Horzen (4), Dean Bombak, Borut Maklovsek (7) and Domen Novak (3). Also playing were Nejc Cechte (5), Micha Zarabec (2), Tadej Mazej (2), Jernej Drobez, Matic Sucholeznik, Alex Vlah (4) and Klemen Ferlin (gr).
Coach: Uros Zorman.
– Portugal (33): Gustavo Capdeville, Leonel Fernandes (5), Alexandre Cavalcanti, Rui Silva (2), Luis Frade (2), Salvador Salvador (3) and Pedro Portela (3). Also playing were Gilberto Duarte, Miguel Martins (1), Antonio Areya (2), Francisco Costa (4), Martim Costa (11) and Diogo Rema (s.).
Coach: Paulo Jorge Pereira.
Attendance: 13,376 spectators.