Will Germany secure the group victory?

If we like, the main round of the World Cup in Spain will already start for the German handball ladies on St. Nicholas Day. Officially, the game against Hungary is still a match in the preliminary round, but important points for the quarter-finals are already at stake. Germany and Hungary are both already qualified for the main round.

Germany are at the top of the standings after wins over the Czech Republic and Slovakia and have a goal difference of +24 after these two games. They could not have started the tournament much better. The Hungarians have also won two games, but only have a goal difference of +9. This means that the German women have obviously performed better than the Hungarian team.

In the main round, they will probably play Denmark, South Korea and Tunisia. The latter has to beat Germany and so the Danes, Germany and Hungary will probably fight for the two places in the quarter-finals. Before the match between Germany and Hungary, it is not too far-fetched to predict that the DHB ladies will make it into the knockout round.

But a win on Monday would be extremely important to leave one of the big rivals behind.

Germany – statistics & current form

The German team is just having fun at the World Cup in Spain. Two outstanding victories with only about ten weaker minutes in the final phase against the Czech Republic show that the German women are a force to be reckoned with. Nevertheless, Henk Groener’s team should stay on the ground. The first goal has been achieved with the entry into the main round. The next goal is to qualify for the quarter-finals.

All field players in action

The two big advantages of the German team are its balance and its unity. Every German outfield player has already scored a goal at this World Cup. This also means that the supposed regulars have also already got their breaks, which is very important in a long tournament.

After two convincing victories, one may also check the odds on a German success in the match between Germany and Hungary. These have dropped significantly in the last few days after the good performances of the Groener team. Before the start of the World Cup, the Hungarians were rated somewhat stronger, but now the tide has turned a little.

It is clear, however, that the toughest match of the World Cup so far awaits the German players on Monday. But the DHB ladies go into this duel with great self-confidence. After two concentrated performances and two double-digit victories, Germany has already made a statement that should have gone down well with the Hungarians.

The Germany squad:
Goal: Eckerle, Filter
Back: Grijseels, Petersen, Zschocke, Smits, Bölk, Kalf, Stolle
Left wing: Lauenroth, Stockschläder
Right wing: Maidhof, Berger
Circle: Schmelzer, Antl, Schulze
Coach: Groener

Hungary – Statistics & current form

Hungary has a very strong national league. It is not for nothing that some German national players have found their way there and earn their money in Budapest. But that could also be an advantage for the German women, because they know the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents very well. Now it’s time to make use of this on Monday.

Still room for improvement

In the run-up to the tournament, Hungary were the clear favourites to win the group. But either they haven’t shown everything in the two games against Slovakia and the Czech Republic so far or they are not in the form Vladimir Golovin’s team was expected to be in.

Hungarian women have their strengths in attack. Especially from the back, Szandra Szöllösi-Zacsik, Noemi Hafra or the young Katrin Klujber are extremely powerful. Klujber, who plays together with Emily Bölk and Alicia Stolle at Ferencvaros, has already scored 18 goals in the first two tournament games.

But it remains to be seen how well Vladimir Golovin’s team can cope with the German tempo game. In any case, the Hungarians still have room for improvement. But if they manage to play up to their potential against Germany, it will be a close match, which will probably only be decided in the final phase.

The squad of Hungary:
Goal: Szikora, Biro, Szemerey
Backs: Toth. Vamos, Kacsor, Hafra, Szöllösi-Zacsik, Albek, Planeta, Klujber
Left wing: Marton, Fodor
Right wing: Kovacs, Lukacs
Circle: Tovizi, Bordas, Szabo
Coach: Golovin

Germany – Hungary Direct Comparison / H2H-Balance

Since the 2003 World Cup, the national teams from Hungary and Germany have faced each other in 15 duels on the record. In this period, the direct comparison speaks in favour of the German team with 8:6 victories. Once they parted with a draw. This balance indicates that it will also be an even match on St. Nicholas Day.

The last encounter took place a year ago at the European Championships in Denmark. In the main round, the German team, led by a strong Emily Bölk, won 32:25. On the Hungarian side, Katrin Klujber was unstoppable with eight goals. In the end, however, both teams were eliminated in the main round.

Germany – Hungary Tip

With Germany and Hungary already assured of a place in the main round, this head-to-head clash on Monday is extremely important. The points from this match will be taken home and give the winner a big advantage on the way to the quarter-finals. The German team has made the better impression so far.

This means that the odds on a German success are slightly lower, but the bookmakers expect a very close game in which both teams will have their chances. The key to a German success would be to eliminate the strong back line of the Hungarians. If this succeeds, then a bet on a win for the DHB ladies is the better choice in the Germany vs. Hungary match.

But we expect it to be very close. It is unlikely that one team will gain a clear lead early on. However, we think that the two clear victories have given the German team a lot of self-confidence and therefore we have decided to play the betting odds between Germany and Hungary on a victory for the German women.