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The Hungarian men’s handball team advanced to the semi-finals of the European Olympic qualifying tournament with an undefeated record, securing the maximum two points by defeating Iceland 33-25 in the last group stage round in Munich on Tuesday.
Photo: MTI / Czeglédi Zsolt
In the preceding matches, Hungary triumphed over Montenegro with a score of 26-24 on Friday and edged out Serbia 28-27 on Sunday.
This marked Hungary’s first continental tournament where they progressed from the group stage with three wins.
Stand-in player Adrián Sipos expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, emphasizing that their focus from the start was excellent. He highlighted the team’s superb attacking play and defense throughout the 60 minutes of play.
In the first half, Sipos, one of the key defensive players, had to be replaced due to a collision with Elliði Viðarsson.
The Hungarian player detailed the incident: “I did not see what was happening; I just felt I got a really big blow to the head, and my mouth was ripped up. When I got back on the pitch, I was quite dizzy, and my vision was rather blurred in my left eye. Luckily, it started to subside before the break and cleared up during it, but I still felt the headache.”
Photo: MTI / Czeglédi Zsolt
He acknowledged that in the first half, Iceland managed some breakaway goals, but Hungary’s solid defense made it challenging for them.
Looking ahead, Hungary is set to face Austria in the semi-finals in Cologne on Thursday, followed by matches against Croatia on Saturday and the hosts, Germany on Monday. They will meet defending Olympic champions, France on Wednesday.
In the semi-finals, the top two teams from each group will advance, while the third-placed teams will compete for fifth place.
Standings for Group I in the semi-finals in Cologne:
Via MTI; Featured Image: MTI / Czeglédi Zsolt