January 26, 2025 – Croatia defeated Slovenia 29-26 in the final Group 4 match of the 2025 Men’s Handball World Championship. With this victory, they have become the first team in the group to qualify for the quarterfinals, where they will play against Hungary!
Croatia’s performance against Slovenia got off to a rocky start. For nearly eight minutes, Croatia failed to score, until Filip Glavaš managed a remarkable goal from his own half into Slovenia’s empty net, narrowing the deficit to 1-5. Despite Slovenia maintaining a lead of four to five goals, a strong 4-1 run led by Mateo Maraš with three goals brought Croatia within two points in the 23rd minute.
In the 26th minute, Slovenia extended their lead to 15-12, but Croatia responded with a series of three consecutive goals, ending the first half with a tied score of 15-15. However, tensions flared just as the halftime whistle blew, leading to a scuffle between players and a sour conclusion to the first half.
The early minutes of the second half saw a goal-for-goal battle, with Slovenia holding narrow leads at 16-15, 17-16, and 18-17. Their final advantage of 19-18 came before Croatia seized control, thanks to Marin Šipić’s goal in the 39th minute, which marked Croatia’s first lead of the game.
The score remained level at 22-22 until Croatia’s trio of heroes — Ivan Martinović, Zvonimir Srna, and Igor Karačić — propelled the team forward with crucial goals, pushing the lead to 25-22. Goalkeeper Dominik Kuzmanović also redeemed himself after a quieter first half, delivering eight vital saves with a 35% success rate.
In the closing moments, captain Domagoj Duvnjak delivered a powerful goal in the 57th minute for a 28-25 lead, and Ivan Martinović sealed the victory with a stunning strike under pressure to secure the 29-26 win.
Marin Šipić was the player of the match, scoring five goals from five attempts. Ivan Martinović and Filip Glavaš each contributed five goals, while Kuzmanović’s stellar saves played a pivotal role in Croatia’s comeback.
Croatia meets Hungary in the quarter-final on Tuesday at 20:30 in Zagreb. If Croatia wins, they will play the winner of the match between France and Egypt in the semi-finals.
