Defeat to Hungary, but Croatia Advances to EHF Championship Quarterfinals
The younger juniors lost the second half 16:23, but thanks to carried-over points and results from Slovenia and Denmark, they advance among the two best third-placed teams.
The younger juniors lost the second half 16:23, but thanks to carried-over points and results from Slovenia and Denmark, they advance among the two best third-placed teams.
Croatia's younger junior handball team suffered a defeat against Hungary with a score of 32:37 in the second round of the Main Round 2, played on August 4, 2026. Despite a convincing drop in the second half, the selected team secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the competition as one of the two best third-placed teams.
Key to advancing were the points carried over from the first phase of the competition and the victories of Slovenia over Serbia (29:24) and Denmark against the Faroe Islands (32:27), announced the Croatian Handball Federation.
Croatian handball players played an excellent first 30 minutes. They were disciplined, rational in attack, and aggressive enough in defense to keep the Hungarians under control. They took their first two-goal lead (5:3) as early as the 10th minute. Although the Hungarians briefly turned the game around to 5:6, our team quickly regained control and by the 20th minute had taken the lead again.
By the end of the half, Croatia had reached a two-goal advantage four times (11:9, 12:10, 13:11, 14:12), and went to the break with a deserved 16:14. However, everything good from the first half seemed to vanish in the second. After a missed attack for a three-goal lead, Hungary took control with a 2:6 run and never let go.
The last time Croatia was just one goal behind was in the 43rd minute (25:26), but then came a complete collapse. The Hungarians scored five goals and conceded only one by the end of the match, pulling away to an unreachable 26:31. The second half was lost 16:23.
For Croatia, the most effective player was David Bajan with seven goals. Petar Barišić and Mario Kujundžić each added five, with Kujundžić also being named the best player of the match in the Croatian ranks. For Hungary, goalkeeper Andras Szentner played a key role, making 11 saves in just one half. In attack, Bence Ambrus and Botond Korsosi stood out, each scoring seven goals.
Thanks to the overall performance in the group and favorable outcomes in other matches, Croatia has secured a place in the next stage. A rest day follows, and the quarterfinal match against Denmark is scheduled for Thursday. The exact time of the match will be announced by the EHF during the day.
