Germany beat Spain for spot in M18 EHF EURO final

• Less than 24 hours after edging Iceland in an intense quarter-final, Germany once again showed their resilience to book a place in the title match
• Spain made a better start, challenging Germany's attack with an aggressive defensive system while goalkeeper Ruben Cardenosa denied several early attempts. The Spanish side led 4:1 after 10 minutes before Germany gradually started to come back
• Goalkeeper Tjorven Knackstedt kept Germany in the game throughout the first half with a string of crucial saves, allowing his team to erase most of the early deficit. Spain nevertheless held a narrow 11:10 advantage at half-time
• Germany opened the second half with a spectacular 7:1 run, closing the minimal deficit into a comfortable lead, which they kept until the end of the game
• Julius Pöthke led the German scoring with eight goals, while Adrian Sola netted seven times for Spain. However, the Player of the Match awards went into the hands of two goalkeepers Tjorven Knackstedt with 11 saves and Rubén Cardeñosa López for Spain with 13 saves
• The medal matches of the Men's 18 EHF EURO 2026 are scheduled for Sunday, 9 August in Aleksandar Nikolic hall in Belgrade, with the bronze medal match being played at 17:00 CEST and the final at 19:30 CEST

SEMI-FINAL

Germany vs Spain 32:27 (10:11)

Top scorers: Julius Pöthke 8/10 (GER), Adrian Sola 7/12 (ESP)
Players of the Match: Tjorven Knackstedt (GER), Rubén Cardeñosa (ESP)

Spain started off better in the semi-final, using their aggressive defence and the saves of Ruben Cardenosa to build a three-goal lead after 10 minutes. As the first half progressed, Germany closed the gap and turned the match into an evenly balanced defensive battle. Spain nevertheless went into the break with a narrow 11:10 advantage after successfully protecting their lead until the half-time buzzer.

Germany returned from the dressing room with a completely different intensity. A dominant defensive display, combined with quick transitions and clinical finishing, fuelled a decisive 7:1 run in the opening eight minutes of the second half, turning a one-goal deficit into a 17:12 lead. Spain struggled to respond as Germany continued to dictate the tempo, extending the advantage to eight goals midway through the period. Although the Spaniards reduced the deficit late on during a spell in which Germany played with two fewer court players following Finn Meißner's red card, Lenn Strobel's breakthrough goal halted the comeback attempt. Germany comfortably saw out the closing minutes to seal a 32:27 victory and book their place in the Men's 18 EHF EURO 2026 final.

All images: Lucija Begenisic / RSS