Slovenian handball players beat Montenegro 37:30 in the 4th round of qualification for the European Championship in Koper. With their fourth win in Group 7, they have already secured their place in the final tournament of the old continent between January 10 and 24, 2024 in Germany.
Uroš Zorman’s team defeated the strongest rivals in the group twice this week. After Thursday’s victory in the hot Morača hall in Podgorica with 32:29, they were even more convincing in the Bonifika hall.
In the Slovenian team, Blaž Janc was the most effective with ten goals, Domen Makuc contributed six goals.
Dolenec will rest for at least four weeksCompared to the first head-to-head match this week in Podgorica, Zorman left Jure Dolenc, who will rest for at least four weeks due to a hamstring injury, and Stefan Žabić and Tadej Maze, while former Koper player Staš Jovičić got the chance to prove himself on the Coast.Slatinek and Grega Krečič and Jernej Drobež from Velenj.
Janc opened the meeting with a bangIn the first half of the match, both selected lines paid more attention to the game in attack. There were many ups and downs in the Slovenian game, shined and one of the best wing players in the world is Blaž Janc. In the 16th minute, Posavec in a Barcelona jersey took care of the first slightly higher home lead in the match (12:9), and he contributed six goals to this part of the game.
In the first half, Zorman gave 14 of the 16 players a chance to prove themselves, only Domen Makuc and Krečič remained on the bench, and his wards led by three goals (12:9, 15:12, 16:13, 18:15 ).
The Montenegrins punished the technical mistakes of the SloveniansThe first-class Slovenian handball players – some of them were missing during the winter qualification cycle, such as Dean Bombač, Borut Mačkovšek and Matej Gaber – raised their defensive game somewhat in the second half and took the lead by four goals for the first time in the match in the 36th minute ( 20:16). In the next two minutes, they played very disorganized in attack, and after a series of technical errors, the Montenegrins completely panting for the collar (20:19).
Janc and Lesjak did not allow surprisesAfter that, the Slovenians just got together, Janc and Urban Lesjak shined. In the 42nd minute, the former led his teammates to a four-goal lead (24:20) after a lightning counterattack, and four minutes later, the Slovenian advantage was eight goals (29:21) after a simultaneous goal by goalkeeper Lesjak.
The Slovenian handball players did not waste a good amount of goals in the playoffs, after a reliable performance they defeated the Montenegrins for the second time in a row in the last four days and secured their 14th appearance at the European Championship.
Two more qualifying matches in the springIn the autumn qualifiers, Slovenia first defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina with 28:20 in Maribor, and then Kosovo with 29:24 in Priština. Two more matches await her in the spring, first on April 27 in Cazin, she will face Bosnia and Herzegovina, and three days later she will host Kosovo in Velenje.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR EURO 2024 (M), group 7: SLOVENIA – MONTENEGRO 37:30 (18:16)
Slovenia: Lesjak, Kastelic, Blagotinšek 1, Henigman 1, Janc 10, Cehte 4, Jovičić-SlatinekKodrin 2, Zarabec 5 (2), Horžen 4, Ovniček, Makuc 6, Krečič 1, Novak 2, Vlah 1, Drobež.
Montenegro: Matovic, BraunovicBakić 1, Dragasevic 2, M. Vujović 5 (3), Chat 3, Lazović 1, Čepić 3, Corsovic 2, B. Vujović 8 (3), Radović 1, Kaludjerović 3, B. Simić, Vujačič 1, Radović, Andjelić.
Seven meters: 2/3; 6/7.
Exclusions: 14; 4 minutes.
I WOULD – KOSOVO25:18 (10:7)
The order: Slovenia 8, Montenegro 4, BiH 4, Kosovo no points.
Source: Rtvslo
