A world record crowd turned out to watch Germany meet Switzerland. Then the home team responded by winning with 27–14 – thanks in large part to a goalkeeping masterclass from Andreas Wolff.
On September 6, 2014, 44,189 spectators packed their seats to watch the meeting between Rhein-Neckar Löwen and Hamburg – a world handball attendance record. But that record was thoroughly polished when Germany defeated Switzerland 27–14 in front of 53,586 spectators in Düsseldorf.
The match itself, however, started relatively tentatively and the game was characterized by two goalkeepers – Andreas Wolff and Nikola Portner – who were responsible for plenty of sharp saves.
But after the tentative opening, the home team increased the momentum rapidly after Andreas Wolff managed to keep a clean sheet for just under nine minutes, Germany could turn 4-3 into 9-3. The German move also allowed them to go into the half-time break with a 13-8 lead.
In the second half, the German attacking game stagnated. But even Switzerland had despaired of finding holes behind the German defense and Wolff. This allowed Germany to run away and win 27-14, a result that speaks for itself.
The result means that Germany move up into joint top of the group with France, who defeated North Macedonia in the evening’s early game. Next is a few days of rest before facing North Macedonia on Sunday.
Germany–Switzerland 27–14 (13–8)