France and Austria open with clear wins; Faroese make history

GROUP 3

Slovenia vs Belgium 29:22 (17:8)

One of the group 3 favourites, Slovenia began the match strong and displayed no mercy for Belgium, who are playing the EHF EURO qualifiers for the first time since 2006. Slovenia goalkeeper Maja Vojnovic made 14 saves and recorded a 62 per cent save rate in the first half, restricting the Belgian attack to only three goals scored until the 20th minute, which set the tone for the rest of the match. Coach Dragan Adžic’s squad had a clear lead at the break and not much changed in the second half. Despite missing EHF EURO 2024 All-star Team left back Tjaša Stanko, Slovenia held on to their formidable lead to the end, securing two points. Nusa Fegic (seven) and Ema Hrvatin (six) combined for 13 goals, while Belgium back Nele Antonissen netted 13 and was the match’s top scorer.