EHF EURO 2018. CROATIA Hungary takes it all, Bosnia and Herzegovina without a point

Jakub Hrstka

Seven SEHA participant national teams were last weekend active in qualifications for EURO which Croatia will host in 2018. Reminder, Croatia as a host already has its place guaranteed on the final tournament and other teams have to go through qualifications. There are seven groups. Two of the best from each group will advance along with the best thrid-placed team. Hungarians are off to a big start and Slovenians are close. Serbia, Belarus and Macedonia have a win and a loss, Slovakia had a minimum success and Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only team without a single point so far.

In group A Hungary has two wins - at home over Latvia with 24:16 as well as away against the Netherlands with 28:27 and is on top of the group along with Denmark which is also 2/2..

Two SEHA teams are in group 2 - Serbia and Belarus. In their mutual encounter in Nis it was huge 36:27 for Belarusians who were in their first match defeated at home against Romania (23:26) while Serbia got away with an important 37:32 in Gdansk against Poland. Romania is on top of the group with maximum points while Serbia and Belarus have 2 each.

In group 3 Bosnia and Herzegovina lost two games - away against Spain (30:21) as well as at home against Austria (22:23) already reducing its chances to catch a place on the final tournament. Spain is on top with 2/2.

In group 4 a win but then also a loss for Macedonia. At home they were with 27:21 better than Ukrain but then failed to beat Czech Republic away losing big with 35:28 in a match where we'll have to highlight the performance of Czech right winger Jakub Hrstka who was unstoppable scoring 10 goals. Another Tatran's player also deserves to be mentioned and that is Sadovyi after an amazing 5-goal performance in a home court win for Ukraine against favored Iceland. Every team has 2 points in this group.

In group 5 Slovenia has 3 points. That puts Vujovic's boys on the second spot, right after European champions Germany who are 2/2. Slovenians were first at home better than Switzerland (32:27) after which they have  managed to reach a 26:26 draw in Portugal. Celje's Janc scored 5 in a win,Veszprem's Blagotinsek 6 in a draw.

In group 6 Slovakia has managed to grab a point in Russia (31:31) later losing at home against Sweden (17:21). Sweden is on top in that group, Russia second with two draws, Slovakia and SEHA frozen Montenegro on the bottom with a point each.

Qualifications will continue in May.