Flawless second half lifts Germany to quarter-finals spot

Starting the IHF Women’s World Championship for the second time in history with five wins in a row, Germany cruised to the quarter-finals at Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023, after their strong second half outing against Serbia, which brought a 31:21 win.

Main Round
Group III
Serbia vs Germany 21:31 (13:14)

Germany had previously started an edition of the IHF Women’s World Championship with five wins in a row only once and this was the second time when they could have sealed such a start, with a win against Serbia also securing a main round berth for Markus Gaugisch’s side.

On paper, Germany were clear favourites, especially as Serbia had previously lost three matches from the four they played, but this time around, they had to sweat to clinch that win, as their usually effective gameplay was hit with mishaps, especially in attack.

In her 100th cap for Germany, captain Emily Bölk, who was also named the hummel Player of the Match, threw off the match with a goal in the first minute, but a plucky Serbia side did not fall down by two goals or more until the 25th minute, with the lead changing hands five times in the first half, as Germany’s shooting efficiency dropped to 53% after 30 minutes.

Nevertheless, a 3:0 Germany run, spurred by left wing Antje Döll helped the previously unbeaten side to a 13:10 lead after 25 minutes, as Döll expertly intercepted two balls and converted the ensuing fast breaks, leaving Serbia desperately searching for answers. But Uros Bregar’s side bounced back and cut the gap to only one goal, 13:14, before the break, making sure that the second half will be hotly contested.

Starting the second half strong, Serbia took the lead, but the pivotal moment of the match came between the 36th and the 46th minutes, when Germany took advantage of a total collapse of Serbia’s attack to create an unanswered 7:0 run, which decided the match, after Bregar’s side did not score for 10 minutes and 28 seconds.

Two suspensions in the span of 30 seconds depleted Serbia’s defence, as not even two team time-outs called by Bregar could weather the storm, with Germany opening an unassailable 22:16 lead, which basically sealed the win for them.

A plethora of turnovers – 19 in the match – were Serbia’s undoing, as Germany took full advantage until the end, to clinch a 31:21 win, after their opponents only managed to score eight goals in the second half and only five in the last 25 minutes of the match, as their efficiency dropped from a 68% in the first half to 57% at the end of the match.

With five wins in five matches, Germany have secured their quarter-finals berth, and have a heavyweight clash against Denmark on Monday, in the last main round match, which will likely decide the final standings in Group III of the main round in Herning.

Serbia, on the other hand, conceded their fourth loss in five matches, are last in the standings, and will only avoid finishing on the sixth place if they win against Japan in the last match of the main round.

hummel Player of the Match: Emily Bölk (Germany)