After three consecutive losses in main round group II in Bratislava, Germany finished the EHF EURO 2022 on a high, with a last-gasp 30:29 win against Russia. The victory was sealed by a double in-flight goal scored by left wing Patrick Zieker, with 11 seconds to go.
Germany finished fourth in the group, with four points, while Russia, who started the main round with two points, could only muster one more and finished fifth.
GROUP II
Germany vs Russia 30:29 (16:12)
- Germany used a 4:0 run to end the first 30 minutes and create a four-goal gap, preventing Russia from scoring in the last seven minutes and 46 seconds of the half
- Russia managed two 3:0 unanswered runs of their own, to take the lead for the first time in the 51st minute, 26:25. However, they could only score three times in the last nine minutes and so conceded their third loss in four games in the main round
- the Grundfos Player of the Match, Russian left back Sergei Mark Kosorotov was once again his team’s best player, scoring eight goals, one of which was clocked at 137.9 km/h, the seventh fastest goal of the tournament
- with their first win in the main round, Germany avoided their worst-ever losing streak in the competition – four games in a row
- Germany also avoided matching their worst-ever finish in history at the EHF EURO, tenth, as they will finish either seventh or eighth, with a single win in the main round
Gritty Germany prove they had everything to play for
There was no shortage of drama for Germany at the EHF EURO 2022, with Alfred Gislason’s side starting with three wins, but losing players on a daily basis, due to positive Covid-19 cases. However, Germany proved once again they have an impressive talent pool and a gritty team who fought until the end of each game in the main round.
On the other hand, Russia will finish either 11th or 12th, an improvement on 22nd place at the EHF EURO 2020. The bright side for this younger Russia team is, however, the emergence of Sergei Mark Kosorotov.
The 25-year-old left back was instrumental in Russia’s wins in this tournament, scoring 33 goals over five games, becoming the team’s best scorer. Russia still need a tweak or two, but they could become a great side to watch in the future.
