DHB Euro Qualifier: Beat Belgium, Gislason Still Complains

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents DHB Euro Qualifier: Beat Belgium, Gislason Still Complains.

Germany's start in European Championship qualifying sounds like a clear success: 42:32 against Belgium, including a 22:18 halftime lead. But Gislason loudly reminded the team of its weak defense during a timeout. “Our problem is the defense. Step up. This is not a friendly match,” he said. The opening was successful, but by no means perfect.

The 42:32 win shows an upward trend and defensive problems

A difficult start

After roughly half a year without an international match, Germany initially struggled against Belgium. The defense was too hesitant, while the offense still looked unsettled. After 20 minutes, the team led only 13:10. This margin hardly reflected the differences in quality, even though Belgium does not belong to Europe's expanded elite.

Belgium had never previously qualified for a European Championship. It had appeared at one World Championship. With 12,284 spectators, the match was also well attended, although first-choice goalkeeper Andreas Wolff was not in the matchday squad. David Späth and Lasse Ludwig formed Germany's goalkeeping duo instead.

The turnaround

Nevertheless, Germany turned the match around. In the 30th minute, debutant Niklas Theiß scored his first international goal. Before that, Marko Grgic had made an impact with powerful long-range shots and finished as the team's leading scorer with seven goals. When Zerbe, Uscins and Knorr added further goals, Germany pulled away to 29:23. The defense was now stronger, while the Belgian players increasingly tired and finished imprecisely.

Losses of concentration in attack nevertheless drove Gislason to fury on the sidelines. With a 16-goal lead, these lapses barely mattered. The match was already decided, so Matthes Langhoff and Justus Fischer also got some playing time. The victory was clear, but the performance still had significant areas needing work.

Gislason's criticism is aimed primarily at the defense

No casual test match

The coach was not dissatisfied because of the result. His criticism focused on the team's teamwork: Germany had taken too long to gain control against the outsider Belgium. His instruction during the timeout, “Step up,” was therefore aimed at the entire team, and especially at the defense.

Even in the second half, there were phases despite the large lead when Gislason was dissatisfied. It becomes clear that he did not consider the 42:32 win proof that the squad was already stable. The success counts in the standings, but the basic order within the team had not yet been definitively resolved for him that evening.

Two new options

Niklas Theiß and David Moré from ThSV Eisenach, along with Golla, were two newcomers in Gislason's coaching squad. Theiß is expected to ease the burden on Renārs Uscins at pivot in the future. Both made successful debuts: Theiß scored, and Moré also celebrated a strong start. Their integration in particular gives the coach options to calm the team's attacking uncertainty.

Golla scores four goals and processes the transfer

29th birthday and first international match after the saga

Captain Johannes Golla had a special day. On his 29th birthday, he not only played an international match, but his first since the controversy surrounding his request to move from MT Melsungen to SG Flensburg-Handewitt. Golla spent much of the first half on the court and scored four goals. The dpa described his performance as successful.

At the same time, Golla is both the team's sporting anchor and the most visible figure in the current upheaval. The sources cite no single reason for the uncertainty. But his renewed appearance for the national team and his four goals show that, despite the earlier turmoil, he immediately resumed a key role in the DHB's play.

From Belgium to Slovakia: 3 opponents until Euro 2028

The next fixture

The second qualifier comes as early as Sunday. The German team will travel for the away match in Slovakia at 18:00. Another opponent follows in March: the Italian team coached by Bob Hanning. These fixtures continue the DHB's path toward Euro 2028.

The 2029 home World Championship

European Championship qualifying is already overshadowed by the Handball World Championship in January 2029. Germany is hosting the tournament jointly with France. Matches will be played at six German venues; Berlin is not among them, while Cologne and Hamburg are German venues. In France, the matches will take place in Lyon, Strasbourg and Paris.

During the game, the DHB announced that the German handball players will begin their medal quest at the 2029 World Championship in Berlin. DHB executive chairman Mark Schober said the venues Paris and Berlin demonstrate the high status of this World Championship and the choice of major handball platforms by the major nations.

The victory is therefore clear, and the task remains concrete: On Sunday at 18:00, the defense must be quicker and more secure in Slovakia. Until then, Gislason's words during the timeout remain the best yardstick for this European Championship qualifying opener: 42:32 against Belgium looks strong on paper, but is still far from proof of a complete team.