DHB boys in the quarter-finals: Can they beat Sweden?

DHB boys in the quarter-finals: Can they beat Sweden?

Germany's U21 national handball team is facing a crucial challenge. On Thursday evening at 9 p.m. the young talents will play against Sweden in the quarter-finals of the U21 Handball World Championship. Expectations are high, after all, the German team qualified first in the main round, which provides a lot of confidence. But the road there is rocky, as the first half of the game shows.

Germany has had to overcome a number of problems so far. With 11 ball losses, the handling of the game equipment can be improved, whereas Sweden shines with only 3 ball losses. In the first half, Germany went into the break with a 14:16 lead after starting the game well. Right at the start of the game they were able to convince with a 2-1 lead, but technical errors and a strong Swedish defense presented coach Martin Heuberger's boys with major challenges. A timeout was needed to calm the team down when the score was 6:9.

Sweden dominates the game

As the second half progressed, the situation became more serious. Sweden, led by their goalkeeper Skogg, whose saves were crucial, were able to pull away. Oscar Johansson made it 29:24 in the 52nd minute, while Germany hardly found any opportunities to reduce the deficit. Even though David Moré converted two seven-meter penalties, the current score of 21:25 (42nd minute) does not reflect the fighting spirit of the German team.

• Deutschland führt zunächst 2:1
• Schweden liegt nach 52 Minuten mit 29:24 vorn
• Max Günther fällt wegen einer Schulterverletzung aus und wird durch Levin Unbehaun ersetzt
• Axel Mansson trifft mehrfach für Schweden, unter anderem einen Siebenmeter zum 13:11

Injuries and being outnumbered sent additional challenges to the German camp. Despite the pressing deficit and the technical problems, the fighting spirit can still be felt in the spectator stands. The team secured the title in Berlin last year and will do everything in its power to show this glory in this tournament too.

Important information about the World Cup

The U-21 Men's Handball World Championship has been organized by the International Handball Federation (IHF) since 1977 and takes place every two years. With 32 participating teams, the round-robin tournament is initially divided into 8 groups of 4 teams each, before the competition switches to a knockout system from the round of 16 onwards. Germany is the current title holder and has already won a total of 3 world championship titles in the history of the championships, with Russia being the record winner with 7 titles.

For everyone who wants to follow the match, SPORT1 provides a live ticker that comprehensively follows what is happening on the field. If you would like to find out more about the events surrounding the quarter-finals, you can also read about it on Kicker.

Stay tuned, because the game could change dramatically in the coming minutes!

For more details and live updates visit: SPORT1 and Kicker. You will also find comprehensive information about the tournament history and the current rankings Wikipedia.