Live live Croatia – Spain: We have entered the dramatic finish of the match and brought back the advantage …

In the first match of the playoffs for the 2025 World Cup, Croatian handball players won in Koprivnica Spain with 27-26 (17-12). The return meeting is in algeciras in three days, and better from these two reflections will win a Visa for the World Cup that will take place at the end of the year Germany and The Netherlands.

Spain opened the meeting better, they led 3-1, but Croatia turned 6-1 with a series by reaching the result 7-4. In the 23rd minute of the selection Ivica Lord led with five differences (14-9), and in the 26th minute they had the largest +6 in the first part (15-9). By halftime, the Spaniards managed to reduce to 17-12. Croatia was led by Croatia in the first half Tina Barisic and Clara Birtic with five goals each, while Lucia Bešen had six defenses.

Spain has far better entered the sequel very quickly, reducing the backlog to two goals of the minus (18-16), and after nine minutes of play, the Croatian advantage melted on just the goal of the excess (19-18), so Obvan was forced to call a minute of rest. Unfortunately, he did not even make changes in the field, Spain equalized in 19-19 in the 40th minute, and in the 42th minute he reached the advantage of 20-19. The other minute of rest tried to « shake » the team and the Croatian 2-0 for a new advantage was 21-20.

Koprivnica: qualifications for the World Handball Championship, Women, Croatia – Spain |

Photo: Damir Spehar/Pixsell

In the last eight minutes, it came from Croatian +2, but Spain reached a naked advantage (24-23) four minutes before the end. In the final, Croatia once again turned the result, winning the minimum victory, 27-26. The most efficient in the Croatian ranks were Barisic and Birtic with seven goals each, while Katarina Jezic and Andrea Simara added three goals each. Bešen eventually collected eight defenses.

On the opposite side, Alicia Fraga Fernandez and Danilo So Degado Pinto were most efficient with five goals each. The World Handball Championship is scheduled for November 26 to December 14 this year in Germany and the Netherlands. 32 national teams will perform, and so far, 19 national teams have been placed. The title will be defended by French women who defeated Norway in the 2023 finals in 2023. So far, Croatia has participated eight times at the World Cups, and has achieved the best result in 1997 in Germany, taking sixth position.