Paris 2024 | Slovenia open account after fiery win against Croatia

Slovenia bounced back after the loss against Spain in the opening day of the men’s handball competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, opening their account with a fantastic win against Croatia, 31:29, after they were four goals down during the first half.

PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES – PRELIMINARY ROUND
GROUP A
Slovenia vs Croatia 31:29 (13:13)

Two days ago, in their opener in the men’s handball competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Croatia needed a last-gasp goal from right back Ivan Martinovic to secure two points against Japan. On the other hand, Slovenia led against Spain for more than 40 minutes, but collapsed, facing already a must-win match against Croatia in the second round.

Therefore, the match had all the ingredients to be properly fiery, with two teams which use adrenaline to boost their morale. Indeed, it was a proper match for this level, with twists and turns, 13 suspensions, as the two sides left everything on the court to try and secure the crucial two points in Group A.

Croatia had the better start and jumped to a 6:2 lead, as Ivan Martinovic picked up where he left off against Japan, scoring three of Croatia’s first six goals, with Slovenia failing to rise to the challenge, especially on the defensive part. But sooner rather than later, Uros Zorman’s side started to make a dent into Croatia’s lead.

Still, with Domagoj Duvnjak finding his way to goals – three in the first half – Croatia enjoyed a 11:7 lead  in the 21st minute, but than their decline started to be felt stronger and stronger. Backed by an excellent performance from right wing Blaz Janc and left back Aleks Vlah, Slovenia finished the first half with a 6:2 run, to tie the score, 13:13.

It went from bad to worse for Croatia, as their spirit was lacking in the first part of the second half, with Slovenia running riot between the 45th and the 51st minute. Still, Croatia took the lead once again, 19:17, but from that moment on, it was all Slovenia on the court, as Dagur Sigurdsson’s side turned the ball over, missed crucial one-on-one situations and helped their opponents to create a fantastic run.

A 5:0 unanswered run, which saw Croatia fail to score for seven minutes and four seconds, was the pivotal moment of the match, as left back Aleks Vlah scored three goals and opened a four-goal lead for Slovenia, which proved to be unassailable. Once again, Croatia cut the gap to two goals, but a one-on-one save from Klemen Ferlin, who finished the match with eight saves and a 33% saving efficiency, gifted Slovenia another chance to take advantage of.

And right there was right wing Blaz Janc was there to score, with two goals in only 18 seconds, which dealt the final blow to Croatia, a team which conceded 18 goals in the second half, collapsing on both sides of the ball, a surprising finish for a team which boasts plenty of experience. Janc and Vlah, with eight goals each, were Slovenia's top scorer in this fantastic match.

Both Croatia and Slovenia now have two points, in what projects to be a very well-balanced group, currently with a single team – Germany – having four points after two matches. Both Slovenia and Croatia still have to face Germany and Sweden, but for Croatia, things might be more difficult, as they also have to play against Spain.