Qualification for the European Handball Championship: Switzerland gives up victory against Germany late

(sda) Due to the course of the game in front of 8,354 spectators at Zurich's Hallenstadion, it was a lost point for the Swiss. Aside from the 32:32 score, the only other tie was until the Swiss took a 1:0 lead. In the 56th minute, the home team still led 32:29.

After that, however, they were unable to beat the once again outstanding German goalkeeper Andreas Wolff (13 saves). Luca Sigrist was the last to fail to save with half a minute remaining. Three seconds before the final whistle, the visitors were awarded a penalty, which Juri Knorr converted.

After the first half, coach Andy Schmid's team led 14-11. They executed their game plan excellently before the break, defending aggressively and not allowing any easy goals. The Swiss conceded their second goal to make it 5-2 shortly before the end of the eleventh minute. At one point, at 13-8 in the 26th minute, they led by five goals. The only flaw in the first half was their utilization of opportunities. Sigrist, Lenny Rubin, and Luca Maros all missed opportunities after winning the ball and going one-on-one with Wolff. Sigrist's shot hit the post.

After the break, the Swiss defended less consistently than before, and their legs slowed down. However, their attack worked as planned until the very end, thanks largely to Noam Leopold. Nantes' left winger, who only appeared in the second half, scored nine times and didn't miss a single shot. Lenny Rubin scored six times.

To conclude their European Championship qualification campaign, the Swiss will face Austria in Graz on Sunday at 6 p.m. The two teams drew 29-29 in the first leg. A win would guarantee the SHV team a place at the 2026 European Championship finals in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. However, chances are good that even a defeat will be enough, as four of the eight third-placed teams in the group also qualify.