Hungary clinch thrilling comeback draw versus Switzerland

GROUP II

Switzerland vs Hungary 29:29 (20:14)

H2H: 5-1-7
Top scorers: Lenny Rubin 7/16 (SUI); Miklós Rosta 5/6 (HUN)
Goalkeeper saves: Nikola Portner 11/36, Mathieu Seravalli 1/4 (SUI); Kristóf Palasics 14/41, László Bartucz 0/1 (HUN)
POTM presented by Grundfos: Kristóf Palasics (HUN)

• the match came down to the very end, with the score level at 29:29 when the last timeout was called with six seconds left; Hungary had possession but could not convert the attack into a goal
• after a level opening, Switzerland goalkeeper Nikola Portner recorded a 50 per cent save rate in the first nine minutes, giving his side the chance to open a promising lead, 7:4
• with Switzerland’s back court propelling them forward, the side hit a four-goal lead by the 12th minute (9:5), which allowed them to stay comfortable even with some lost chances and saves from Hungary keeper Kristóf Palasics
• Switzerland’s attacking efficiency in the first half was almost 20 per cent higher than Hungary’s
• Switzerland pulled clear by seven at the start of the second half, but after Lenny Rubin scored his fifth for 25:18 in the 39th minute, Hungary suddenly grabbed the momentum; keeping Switzerland out of the goal for seven minutes, they fought back to a single goal
• Switzerland reopened a gap to lead 28:24 with eight minutes left, but Hungary came back once again, equalising then taking the lead, 29:28 in the 58th minute, for the first time since they scored the starting goal of the game
• Mehdi Ben Romdhane struck back for Switzerland to have the last say in the match

Switzerland suffer second decisive comeback, but make history

Switzerland had one match in the preliminary round that they will never forget, when they were leading Slovenia by nine goals early in the second half then succumbed to a defeat by three. The match was very similar to what unfolded against Hungary, with Switzerland appearing completely dominant and even when Slovenia started reducing the distance, the gap seeming too big to overcome completely. But Slovenia did overcome it.

Against Hungary, Switzerland had a six-goal lead at half-time and started the second period strong, but once again endured the nightmare of a big comeback from their opponents.

Despite the draw that may feel bittersweet for Switzerland, they made some history with the result, taking their first main round point ever at the EHF EURO. When the side made it to the main round in 2004, on what was their only previous participation in the stage, they were defeated in all three games. 

Photos © kolektiff images