Switzerland bow out in style with win over Italy

After taking a well-deserved victory against Italy, 33:25, Switzerland leapfrogged their rivals in the table and will most likely finish on the third place in Group I, which would translate into a top-12 finish for Andy Schmid's side.

MAIN ROUND GROUP I
Italy vs Switzerland 25:33 (9:14)

Both European teams had exceeded all expectations at the current IHF Men's World Championship, getting some surprising wins, but following their defeats on Thursday against Denmark and Germany respectively, they lost a chance to reach the quarter-finals. Still, both sides hoped to win their last encounter in Group I in order to bow out in style and take a higher final position at the tournament.

But it was Switzerland who looked more focused and determined from the first minutes, as they did well in defence and opened a 7:4 lead only 10 minutes into the game. Like in previous encounters, the Switzerland's top scorer Lenny Rubin stood out again, and his goals secured his team a 11:5 advantage, forcing Italy's coach Riccardo Trillini to ask for a timeout.

Similar to the previous game against Germany, the Italians had problems with the penalty shots, as they missed all four before the break. Three of them were saved by Nikola Portner, who also scored the last goal in the first half with a long-distance shot, helping Switzerland to take a five-goal lead.

After the restart, Andy Schmid's side extended the gap to eight goals (18:10) before Leo Prantner finally converted a penalty shot for Italy. The Swiss team did not slow down, punishing their opponents for their mistakes, and they boasted already a nine-goal advantage halfway through the second half, 24:15.

Unlike many previous games, Domenico Ebner did not have much impact in goal, recording a below-par 13% saving efficiency. He was replaced by Giovani Pavani, who spent less time on the court but stopped five balls. However, the hummel Player of the Match Rubin continued to score for Switzerland, finishing the game with nine goals, and Luka Maros ended seven more, contributing to an eight-goal win. The left back will be Switzerland's top scorer in this competition, with 40 goals.

Unless Czechia take a win by 15 goals or more over Denmark later today, Switzerland will finish third-placed in Group I, while Italy will probably take the fourth place. That would mean that Switzerland will likely finish 11th in the final standings, an excellent performance for Schmid's side, which improves on their last result in the competition, the 16th place at Egypt 2021. 

hummel Player of the Match: Lenny Rubin (Switzerland)