Poland and Hungary get first EHF EURO Cup points with clear wins

• with a strong performance on both sides of the court, Poland took the points by defeating Slovakia 28:20
• Poland’s Magda Balsam was the top scorer of the clash with 10 successful shots, including six in the first half
• Hungary delivered an excellent second half performance to take the upper hand on Türkiye, securing a clear 43:30 win
• every court player except for Nikoletta Papp scored at least once for Hungary
• Poland will play in Romania for the next round, while Hungary will travel to Czechia, as all four upcoming Women’s EHF EURO Cup 2026 games will take place on Sunday

GROUP 1

Poland vs Slovakia 28:20 (15:8)

Poland did not miss out on their first opportunity for points in the Women’s EHF EURO Cup 2026. Taking the lead early, the hosts saw their goalkeeper Adrianna Placzek deliver a blinder, with five saves in the first 20 minutes of the game. In her wake, Poland were already leading by six in minute 20, having conceded only three goals (9:3). Not only did they defend well, but the Polish side also delivered a great offensive performance, as highlighted by Magda Balsam’s six goals in the first half.

Leading by seven at the break, Poland kept on increasing their advantage in the second half, with the gap between the two teams reaching double digits 12 minutes before the final buzzer. Slovakia reacted in the last quarter, with Barbora Lancz scoring twice — and five overall — but it was too little, too late, as Poland were already cruising to a well-deserved win.

GROUP 2

Hungary vs Türkiye 43:30 (19:15)

Hungary took some time to warm up and finally got a grip on the game. Or maybe it was Türkiye offering their hosts a great resistance, as the visitors were just one goal behind on the scoreboard after 19 minutes played (11:10). Hungary finally took the upper hand before the break, making the most of some technical errors on their opponents’ side to score some easy goals on fast breaks. When Greta Márton scored her fourth goal of the evening one minute before half-time, she put her team ahead by four (18:14), reaching their biggest advantage of the first half by then.

Once they took the momentum, Hungary did not let it go. Despite Nurceren Akgün Göktepe scoring six for Türkiye, Hungary’s advantage never stopped growing in the second half, culminating to 13 units at the final buzzer. Not taking any goals in the last six minutes of the game, Hungary netted six consecutive times to round up their victory.

Main photo © Paweł Bejnarowicz