A late rally from North Macedonia wasn’t enough to overcome Portugal in a thrilling 29-29 draw Monday at the European MenS Handball Championship in herning, Denmark. the Group B matchup saw momentum swings and key individual performances, leaving both teams with work to do to secure a spot in the main round of the tournament. Portugal is seeking to build on a sixth-place finish at the 2020 championship, while North Macedonia aims to advance from a challenging group.
Portugal and North Macedonia battled to a thrilling 29-29 draw in Group B of the European Men’s Handball Championship on Monday, a result that leaves both teams facing crucial contests to advance to the main round. The match, played in front of a crowd of 11,438 at the Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, Denmark, saw a late surge from North Macedonia nearly steal the victory.
Portugal, aiming to replicate or improve upon their sixth-place finish in the 2020 edition, got off to a shaky start despite Victor Iturriza scoring the opening goal. North Macedonia’s aggressive defense initially disrupted the Portuguese attack, with former Benfica and FC Porto goalkeeper Nikola Mitrevski proving a tough barrier, stopping two early shots.
However, a red card issued to North Macedonia’s Markovski after a reckless challenge on Francisco Costa proved a turning point, leveling the playing field. Despite the man advantage, the first half remained tightly contested, ending with Portugal leading 15-13. Capdeville’s strong defensive play and Portugal’s ability to attack with seven players couldn’t create a significant separation.
The second half saw Portugal gain momentum, capitalizing on three missed attacks by North Macedonia to build a four-to-five goal cushion. Francisco Costa emerged as a key offensive threat for Portugal, consistently penetrating the defense and converting seven-meter throws, while Martim Costa struggled to find his rhythm.
North Macedonia refused to concede, launching a determined comeback fueled by the sharp shooting of Filip Kuzmanovski, who finished the game with an impressive 15 goals. Kuzmanovski’s late scoring spree narrowed the gap, creating a tense finish.
Despite North Macedonia’s relentless pressure and late-game struggles from Martim Costa and Leonel Fernandes, Portugal held on for the draw. Pedro Tonicher and Filipe Monteiro remained unused substitutes for the Portuguese side.
Portugal will face a formidable challenge in their next match, taking on the host nation and four-time world champions Denmark on Tuesday at 7:30 PM (Lisbon time). This contest will be pivotal in determining their fate in the tournament.
Macedonia do Norte – Portugal, 29-29.
Half-time: 13-15.
The match was officiated by Amar Konjicanin and Dino Konjicanin, both from Bosnia-Herzegovina. The teams lined up and scored as follows:
– North Macedonia (29): Mitrevski, Nenad Kosteski, Velkovski (4), Stojkovikj (2), Marko Mitev (1), Djonov (1) and Kuzmanovski (15).
Tomovski, Gjorgiev, Nikola Kosteski, Petar Atanasijevikj, Markoski, Alarov, Peshevski (1), Kuzmanovski, Serafimov (1) and Pavle Atanasijevikj (4) also played.
Coach: Kiril Lazarov.
– Portugal (29): Gustavo Capdeville, Rui Silva (2), Francisco Costa (11), Salvador (2), Iturriza (5), António Areia (2) and Diogo Branquinho.
Luís Frade (3), Leonel Fernandes (1), Miguel Neves, João Gomes, Martim Costa (2), José Ferreira (1) and Diogo Valério also played.
Coach: Paulo Jorge Pereira.
Attendance: 11,438 spectators.
