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In the second-to-last match of the qualifying phase for EHF EURO 2024, the Polish men’s handball team defeated Italy 31-29. The hosts, playing on their own turf, set a high bar for the White and Reds.
The beginning of the match did not hint at any nerves. After three successful actions by Szymon Sićko and a saved penalty by Adam Morawski, the Poles led 4-1. Just when it seemed like it would be an easy game, the hosts started playing effectively in offense and soon caught up with Poland. By the 14th minute, there was already a tie at 6-6, and everything started anew. The following 45 minutes were dominated by the hosts, who, with the support of a full arena, led 15-13 at halftime.
Not much changed after the break. Until the 53rd minute, the tempo and rhythm of the match were set by the Italians. It seemed that the underdogs would lose all points in the final stages of the qualification, but the White and Reds, despite their problems, withstood the pressure from the favorites and ultimately defeated the Italian team by two goals (31-29).
Damian Przytuła put the cherry on top for Marcin Lijewski’s team and was selected as the MVP of the match. His goals in the final minutes of the game decided the victory for the Poles. It was a win worthy of qualifying for Euro.
The White and Reds will end the qualification for EHF EURO 2024 with a match against Latvia in Ostrow Wielkopolski next Sunday. The match will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Ostrów Arena.
Italy – Poland 29:31 (13:15)
Poland: Skrzyniarz, Morawski – Bis, Czapliński 1, Daszek 2, Gębala 4, Jędraszczyk 2, Komarzewski, Moryto 4, Olejniczak, Paterek, Przytuła 4, Sićko 6, Sroczyk 1, Syprzak 7, Walczak.