Hosts topple holders
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Published 30/01/2007 at 17:57 GMT
Hosts Germany booked their place in the World Championship semi-finals with an emotionally-charged 27-25 win against holders Spain. Heiner Brand's side never trailed, but did not put their opponents away until the final minute when Torsten Jansen converte
HANDBALL 2007 World Champs 2007 Germany Spain-Germany Schwarzer
Image credit: dpa
Jansen was one of several German players to raise their game after the scores were pegged back to 23-23, ending the game with six goals after playing every second of the encounter.
Goalkeeper Henning Fritz also producing a brilliant save from a seven-metre penalty shot near the end, one of 11 stops for him.
Holger Glandorf weighed in with five goals, contributing to a total of eight players who scored at least twice.
Iker Romero Fernandez hit the net seven times, but Alberto Entrerrios failed to convert seven of his 10 shots.
The result sent a 19,000-strong capacity crowd in Cologne into raptures and secured a berth in the last four.
Germany will return to Cologne on Thursday to play France, who defeated Croatia 21-18 in the evening session.
Poland joined them after a thrilling 28-27 victory against Russia in Hamburg.
Karol Bielecki, Marcin Lijewski and Grzegorz Tkaczyk were their leading scorers, combining for 18 goals between them.
The Russians, meanwhile, shot just 52 percent as Slawomir Szmal came up with 14 saves.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement