Karabatic sets goal-scoring record in France’s win

GROUP I

France vs Croatia 34:32 (18:18)

• the reigning Olympic champions secured their fifth win in a row against Croatia at the EHF EURO and their 10th in 13 matches, in one of the most entertaining clashes in the tournament so far
• Nikola Karabatic set a new record for the number of goals scored at the EHF EURO, with his five goals against Croatia taking the left back’s tally to 289 goals, ahead of previous record-holder Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson (288 goals)
• after missing the first matches at the EHF EURO 2024 due to illness, Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Kuzmanovic had an outstanding performance against France, saving 13 shots for a 42 per cent saving efficiency
• with six goals and five assists, right back Dika Mem was named the Player of the Match, sponsored by Grundfos
• France now lead the group with four points, one more than Austria, while Croatia have only one point and no room for mistakes ahead of their matches against Hungary, Iceland and Germany

New record, no problem for Karabatic

In his 75th match at the EHF EURO, Nikola Karabatic wrote another piece of history. He was already one of the two players with the most medals won – five, alongside former teammate Luc Abalo – and the player with the largest number of appearances.

Now, Karabatic has the record for the largest number of goals, 289, after his five-goal outing against Croatia. This was the best performance in terms of goals scored by the legendary left back at the EHF EURO since netting nine in the 32:29 win against Denmark in the bronze medal match in 2018.

Records aside, France proved that the draw against Switzerland might only be a blip on the radar, as they held their nerve and delivered an excellent performance against Croatia, matching their opponents in every category, while holding the lead for more than 40 minutes. Things need to be improved here and there, mainly in defence, but France might be on their way to challenging for their first title at the EHF EURO since 2014.

Photos © Kolektiff Images