If you judged this contest by the first 10 minutes of the match, it seemed to be yet another exciting clash. However, Poland punished Belarus’s lack of efficiency in attack and cruised to their second EHF EURO win, securing a main round spot alongside Germany.
Mikita Vailupau and goalkeeper Ilya Usik were the ones keeping Iouri Chevtsov’s team hopes slightly alive until the second half commenced. It was all Poland’s game in those 30 minutes in Bratislava, easily securing a nine-goal win.
GROUP A
Belarus vs Poland 20:29 (11:14)
- it was a level game up until the 10th minute until Przemyslaw Krajewski’s three consecutive goals turned things around for Poland
- Belarus were not efficient enough in offence causing them to trail by three to five goals throughout most of the match. They also lost Mikalai Aliokhin after he was handed a red card
- the last 10 minutes of the match were dominated by Poland, widening the gap even more
- Przemyslaw Krajewski finished the night with seven goals, and goalkeeper Mateusz Kornecki made some important saves in moments when Belarus were trying to get back
- Poland’s Michal Olejniczak was elected as Grundfos Player of the Match, ending the night with four goals
Polish wings under the spotlight
The first Polish match against Austria was all about Arkadiusz Moryto and his nine goals from the right wing position. What about against Belarus?
Look for a left wing. Experienced Orlen Wisla Plock player Przemyslaw Krajewski not only netted seven times, but was also a strong left-half defender and the Polish player with the second biggest distance run – 4.56km.
