Three days ago, Hungary conceded a 28:30 loss on their home court against Spain, but they bounced back admirably on Saturday to avenge that loss, repaying the debt with a 30:27 away win against ‘Las Guerreras’.
GROUP 4
Spain vs Hungary 27:30 (15:15)
- a 9:2 run between the 35th and 49th minutes was enough to lift Hungary to the win, after Spain controlled the first half, leading by as many as two goals
- Hungary’s most experienced player, left back Szandra Szöllosi-Zácsik, was the game’s top scorer, with five goals
- Hungary tie Spain with six points at the top of the standings, boasting a four-point advantage over Portugal, who are sitting third with a game in hand against Slovakia
- edging closer to the final tournament, the Hungarian side could join Denmark and Norway as the only teams who have qualified for each of the 15 EHF EURO editions
- this was Spain’s first loss in nine EHF EURO qualifying games, with their unbeaten streak until now stretching back to March 2018
Spain and Hungary share the spoils
The young Hungarian side, who are constantly striving to consolidate their position in the European elite, suffered a painful loss three days ago. On Thursday their defence collapsed against Spain, who missed only one player from the team that finished fourth at the IHF Women’s World Championship last December, captain Carmen Martin.
Despite being a work in progress, Vladimir Golovin’s team took a step forward on Saturday, and displayed a superb second half, especially in defence. They conceded only 12 goals in the last 30 minutes, while goalkeeper Melinda Szikora stopped 12 shots during the game.
Both Hungary and Spain now need only one win against Slovakia and Portugal to go through to the EHF EURO 2022, so both could end up happy with the outcome from their double-header.
