Golden League: German handball women suffer clear defeat against Denmark

Denmark wins 31:23 against DHB selection

Handball women lose the first game in the Golden League

The German handball women have suffered a clear defeat at the start of the Golden League. The selection of the German Handball Federation (DHB) lost 31:23 (10:15) to Denmark in Viborg on Saturday. This was the first international match for the German team under the new national coach Markus Gaugisch. Before the match against Denmark, the Danish national anthem was played. The German players stood in a circle and some had tears in their eyes.

Before the game, national coach Markus Gaugisch had warned of the strength of the Danes. "Denmark is one of the top nations in the world," said Gaugisch. "We will have to play at our best to have a chance." However, the German team was unable to do so in the first half. The DHB selection made too many mistakes and Denmark took advantage of this. After a 3:3 draw, the hosts extended their lead to 7:3 and never gave it up. Germany's best thrower was Alina Grijseels with eight goals. For Denmark, Mie Højlund scored nine goals.

In the second half, the German team improved their performance somewhat. However, Denmark remained the better team and extended their lead to 25:18. In the end, the German team lost 31:23. "We have to improve our performance in defense," said Gaugisch after the match. "We made too many mistakes today. We have to work on that." The DHB selection will have the opportunity to do so in the next game against Norway on Sunday. Norway also lost its first game of the Golden League, 28:32 to France.