Croatia Defeats Slovenia, Moves One Step Closer to EHF EURO Semi-Finals

Croatia’s handball team defeated Slovenia 29–25, taking a major step toward the semi-finals of the EHF EURO 2026.

Dagur Sigurdsson’s side came out on top in a crucial clash of the tournament. The top scorers for Croatia were Tin Lučin with seven goals and David Mandić with six, while goalkeepers Matej Mandić and Dominik Kuzmanović stood out with key saves — seven for Mandić and four decisive stops from Kuzmanović in the second half.

Slovenia struggled to find rhythm in the attack early on, while Croatia’s defense was exceptional, closing down every lane to the goal. Sigurdsson deployed a 5–1 defensive setup with Marko Mamić leading the line, and Slovenia had no real answer for it. Even when they managed to break through, goalkeeper Matej Mandić, returning to the lineup, stood firm with six saves in the first half. Slovenia tried playing 7-on-6, but it brought little success.

Croatia led throughout the opening 30 minutes, at one point by four goals, but couldn’t fully pull away before halftime. David Mandić impressed on both ends, scoring three and contributing defensively.

The second half saw a shift in momentum. Croatia’s attack faltered, while Slovenia began to find solutions and cut the deficit. A setback came when Zvonimir Srna left the court in tears after sustaining an injury, and Slovenia capitalized to draw level. But Croatia quickly regained control.

A key moment came in the 48th minute when Jovičić was shown a red card for a hard foul on Martinović. With Croatia still struggling in attack, Lučin stepped up, scoring several crucial goals to steady the team.

Slovenia stayed close until the final minutes, but Croatia sealed the win with decisive goals from Lučin and clutch saves by Kuzmanović. In the final group match, Croatia faces Hungary on Wednesday at 18:00. A win would secure a place in the semi-finals. Slovenia plays Iceland earlier in the day at 15:30.