Montenegro claimed a crucial 13:12 victory over France in the standout match of Day 5 at the European Championships in Belgrade, securing three valuable points that will carry over into Group Phase II.
The narrow win confirmed Montenegro’s second-place finish in the group, but it did not come without tension. The Montenegrins controlled most of the contest and appeared to have the match firmly in hand midway through the third quarter, when they opened up a five-goal lead at 12:7. What followed, however, was a worrying lapse. Montenegro went almost 12 minutes without scoring, allowing France to claw their way back to within a single goal at 12:11.
With momentum swinging and pressure mounting, it was Dusan Matkovic who finally broke Montenegro’s drought in the final minute, restoring a two-goal cushion at 13:11. France struck back almost immediately, but Montenegro calmly retained possession in the closing seconds to seal a hard-earned win.
Montenegro in control, France fight back
The opening quarter reflected the balance between two youthful sides, ending 3:3. After the first break, Montenegro tightened defensively and began to assert themselves. Balsa Vuckovic struck twice in the ninth minute to push his side into a 5:3 lead, and although Thomas Vernoux responded for France, Montenegro produced a dominant 4:1 run. Macic’s long-range effort made it 9:5 late in the first half.
Early in the third quarter, Vasilije Radovic finished from close range following Danilo Stupar’s assist, extending the lead to 12:7 and seemingly putting the contest beyond doubt. France, however, refused to surrender. Improved defensive discipline and capitalising on Montenegro’s missed chances allowed the French to score four unanswered goals. With just over four minutes remaining, Canovas converted on the power play to make it 12:11.
The equaliser never came. In the closing minute, Montenegro’s best player on the night intercepted a French pass, prompting a timeout from head coach Dejan Savic. Matkovic took responsibility moments later, scoring with 28 seconds left to decide the contest.
After the match, Matkovic admitted Montenegro struggled late on.
“We knew it would be demanding and that France wouldn’t give us anything easily. We controlled the game well and built a solid lead, but then we lost energy and had to fight until the very end. We’re not satisfied with how we finished, but the most important thing is that we achieved our goal and will carry three points into the second stage.”
France head coach Vjekoslav Kobescak acknowledged Montenegro’s superiority, while praising his team’s response.
“Montenegro defended very well, especially against our best scorer, and that caused us problems. We lost too many balls and allowed counterattacks. Still, after going five goals down, we showed character in the second half. We proved we can compete with the best teams in the world.”
Favourites deliver elsewhere
The remaining matches of Day 5 followed a more predictable script, with the favourites recording comfortable wins.
Hungary, already assured of first place in Group A, completed the group stage unbeaten with a dominant 21:6 victory over Malta. The Maltese stayed competitive early on, but a decisive 7:1 Hungarian run around the start of the third quarter broke the contest open. Malta’s final goal came midway through the third period, after which Hungary added eight unanswered goals. Goalkeeper Soma Vogel made his first appearance of the tournament, playing all 32 minutes.
Spain secured second place in their group by defeating the Netherlands 14:7. Despite the absence of the suspended Alvaro Granados, Spain were largely in control. Alberto Munarriz led the way with four goals, supported by Unai Biel. A rapid three-goal burst in the second quarter proved decisive, while Spain’s defence limited the Dutch to just two goals from ten power-play opportunities.
In the final match of the day, Serbia confirmed first place with a 19:9 win over Israel. After two demanding matches earlier in the week, the Olympic champions enjoyed a more comfortable evening in front of over 4,000 home fans. Israel briefly threatened early on, even levelling at 5:5 in the second quarter, but Serbia responded with a burst of goals and gradually pulled clear. The hosts dominated the fourth period, closing the match with a flurry of goals.
Group Phase II: Group E standings
From Friday, Hungary, Serbia, Spain, Montenegro, the Netherlands and France will compete in Group E, carrying forward the points earned against fellow qualifiers.
Group E – points:
- Hungary – 6
- Serbia – 5
- Spain – 3
- Montenegro – 3
- Netherlands – 1
- France – 0
What’s next
Attention now turns to the final matches of Group Phase II elsewhere. Two high-profile clashes are on the schedule, highlighted by Greece versus Croatia, a showdown that will decide first place in Group B. Their last meeting ended in a narrow Croatian win at the World Championships, and both sides arrive unbeaten and largely untested so far.
In Group D, Italy are strong favourites against Romania, despite an inconsistent opening phase, while Slovakia and Turkiye will battle for third place in what promises to be a tight encounter.
With the competition entering its decisive phase, the margin for error is disappearing fast in Belgrade.
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