The Croatian national handball team has won the bronze medal at the European Championship, after triumphing over Iceland with a dramatic score of 34:33 in the third-place match.
This is the second consecutive success for the Croatians, who last year won the silver medal at the World Championships.
The team led by Dagur Sigurdsson started the match strongly. Goalkeeper Matej Mandić provided security for the defense, while Tin Lucin shone in attack, being the main figure in the first half.
The left winger scored six goals and provided three assists in the first 30 minutes, leading Croatia to a six-goal lead in the 19th minute.
However, Iceland reacted and narrowed the score, with the first half ending 17:14 in favor of the Croatians.
Real drama at the end of the match
In the second half, Croatia maintained the lead and Iceland never managed to take the lead, even though the final minutes brought maximum tension.
In the most difficult moments for the Croatians, Marin Jelinic stood out, scoring all three of his goals just as the match was being decided.
The ending was dramatic: Filip Glavas missed a penalty in the last minute that could have ended the game, while on the other hand the Icelanders also missed from the penalty spot.
However, Glavas immediately repaid himself by scoring the decisive goal, which gave Croatia the 34:33 victory and the bronze medal.
The final for the European title
Croatia won its last European medal in 2020, when it was declared runner-up under the leadership of Line Cervar.
Tonight, Denmark and Germany face off in the grand final, with both teams aiming for their third European title. The Danes have triumphed in 2008 and 2012, while Germany in 2004 and 2016. /Telegrafi/