The hopes of the Austrian men's national handball team for reaching the semi-finals of the European Championship suffered a decisive setback. In the match against Spain, the team representing the \"ÖHB\" lost clearly, which means the tournament is over for the Austrians sooner than expected. While the Spanish team confirmed its role as favorite, the Austrian team did not manage to maintain the necessary efficiency in offense and stability in defense throughout the entire game.
In the first part of the match, Austria could still keep the game largely balanced. However, as the game went on, the Spanish team took control. Especially the physical strength and tactical discipline of the Spanish selection caused big problems for the team of national coach Aleš Pajovič. The Iberians repeatedly found gaps in the Austrian defense and consistently extended their lead, while the \"ÖHB\" team had difficulties turning clear scoring opportunities into goals.
For the German national team, this outcome of the match meant an improvement in their own starting position in the tournament. For Austria, however, a European Championship ends in which the team was convincing at times with its quality of play and fighting spirit. Despite the elimination, the development of the team under Pajovič was seen by observers as a step in the right direction, even if the stated goal of reaching the final four was ultimately not achieved.
