Serbia survive Dutch scare as Hungary and Spain dominate on opening day

Olympic champions Serbia were pushed to the limit in their opening match of the Men’s European Championships in Belgrade, edging past a fearless Netherlands side 18–16 after a dramatic penalty shootout in Group C.

The hosts collected just two points from the contest and were fortunate to escape defeat in regular time. The Netherlands held a three-goal lead early on and appeared to have scored a decisive late winner through Kas te Riele, only for VAR to rule the goal out for being taken after the final buzzer. Serbia eventually prevailed in the shootout, with Milan Glusac saving Bilal Gbadamassi’s attempt, while Dušan Mandić led the scoring with six goals.

Serbia never held a two-goal advantage during regulation, and the Dutch repeatedly punished defensive lapses, with Te Riele and Lars ten Broek causing constant problems. Despite the support of nearly 3,000 home fans, the reigning champions struggled for rhythm and will need a clear step up in performance ahead of their clash with Spain.

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In Group A, Hungary opened their campaign with a commanding 15–7 victory over France, underlining their status as medal contenders. Krisztián Manhercz scored four goals as the Hungarians dominated defensively and generated a series of counterattacks, scoring six times in transition. France found it difficult to create clear chances, with Thomas Vernoux accounting for five of their seven goals.

Montenegro also made a winning start, defeating Malta 21–12. After a competitive opening quarter, the Montenegrins took full control in the second period, holding Malta scoreless and building a decisive advantage. Strahinja Gojković led the scoring with four goals as Montenegro managed the game comfortably in the second half.

Defending champions Spain delivered the most emphatic performance of the day, setting a new Men’s European Championship scoring record with a 28–3 win over Israel in Group C. Spain raced to a 13–0 lead and never relented, with Álvaro Granados scoring six times in a ruthless display that underlined their attacking depth.