The two stars were absent for Denmark as planned, while goalkeeper Emil Nielsen was on the bench. Alfred Gislason's outfit had already suffered a defeat in Copenhagen on Friday (28-36). Germany kept up with the favorites for a long time as goalkeeper Andreas Wolff impressed with nine saves in the first half, and playmaker Juri Knorr was leading goalscorer with eight goals. But Denmark kept their composure in the tightly contested final minutes.
After the season finale at their clubs, the handball players now head into the summer break. The World Championship groups will be drawn in Munich on 10 June, and the next international matches will take place in the autumn.
To the Match Center: Denmark vs. Germany
"Overall, a Very Good First Half"
The second test in three days at the World Championship final venue in Cologne was all about the home tournament starting in January. At the 30th Men's World Championship, the German team will start in Munich and, from the main round onwards, play in Cologne.
After the defeat in Copenhagen, the German squad wanted to eliminate the "stupid mistakes" criticized by Gislason and be more efficient in attack. At first, they succeeded. Spurred on by 19,750 fans in the sold-out Lanxess Arena, Germany delivered a strong first half. After winning the ball and scoring into the empty net through Miro Schluroff to make it 8-7 (10th minute), Germany took the lead. Goalkeeper Wolff provided security with several saves, including a penalty.
But two quick turnovers (24th/25th minute) caused a stir and led to a change in the lead. Denmark went into halftime with a narrow advantage. "Overall, we played a very good first half, but then within just a few minutes, technical errors cost us dearly at half-time," analyzed team manager Benjamin Chatton at the break.
After the break, the visitors quickly pulled ahead by four goals (38th minute), but Justus Fischer restored parity at 25-25 (45th minute). In goal, David Späth impressed, saving a penalty from Emil Jakobsen (47th minute), and another shot by the Dane hit the crossbar (48th minute).