Austria clinch crucial win to improve EHF EURO 2022 hopes

Austria still hold high hopes of qualifying to the EHF EURO for the first time in 14 years, after sealing a 26:22 win against the Faroe Islands, jumping to second place in the standings.

GROUP 2

Austria vs Faroe Islands 26:22 (14:10)

• the Faroe Islands lost their 12^th game in a row in the Qualification Phase 2 of the EHF EURO, but put up a serious fight, buoyed by a 11-goal outing from left back Marianna Eystberg Geirsdottir
• Austria could only post a mediocre 53% attacking efficiency, missing too many clear cut chances, while the Faroe Islands side had only one goalkeeper on the match sheet
• after scoring only five goals in the first three rounds of the group, right wing Fabienne Tomasini led the Austrian attack in the match, scoring five goals
• with the second win in three days, Austria rose to second place in the standings, with five points, leapfrogging Romania, who are now third, with three points
• the Faroe Islands are out of contention for an EHF EURO 2022 berth, after conceding their fourth loss in as many games in Group 2

Austria made to work, but defence comes out on top

A win in the last scheduled game in the group, against Romania, would see Austria definitely through for the first time in 14 years at the Women’s EHF EURO. It would be an amazing feature for a young, but gritty, team coached by Herbert Muller since 2004.

After their 29:24 win against the Faroe Islands three days ago, Austria picked up where they left off, but they did not win through their attack, as they usually do, but their defence, limiting their opponents to only 22 goals, their lowest conceded tally since March 2016, in a 33:20 win against Bulgaria.