Flying start, the train left the station and Montenegro withstood the pressure – here are Norah Lagerkvists 3 takes after Montenegro beat Serbia, 33–17 (13–9).
Flying start
Montenegro opened the match with pace and precision. A 3–0 lead in the opening five minutes forced Serbia into an early timeout. From the first whistle, Montenegro was sharp, energetic, and fully switched on. Durdina Jauković set the tone, and the lead quickly grew to 5–0, then 6–1. Serbia didn’t score their second goal until nearly the ten-minute mark.
The train left the station
Serbia couldn’t get anything going, neither at the start of the first half nor in the early minutes of the second. Montenegro kept scoring, making saves, and pushing forward. Serbia either hit Armelle Kelly Attingre in goal or struck the post. Montenegro attacked with far more precision, and their lead kept growing. What was 13–9 at halftime had stretched to 28–14 with ten minutes remaining. Serbia simply couldn’t withstand Montenegro’s surge.
Montenegro withstood the pressure
A draw would have been enough for Serbia to advance to the quarterfinals. As a result, Montenegro were the underdogs, needing a win and then hoping that the result between Spain and Germany would go in their favor.
However, Montenegro withstood the pressure and secured the win, leaving their fate in the group to be decided by the remaining matches.