Overview
- Germany opened Group A with a 30:27 victory over Austria in Herning to begin its European Championship campaign.
- Goalkeeper Andreas Wolff recorded 12 saves, left briefly after a head blow, then returned to block a late penalty that helped seal the result.
- Coach Alfred Gislason praised a “phenomenal” back line, while captain Johannes Golla topped Germany’s scoring with seven goals.
- The win puts Germany at the top of Group A ahead of fixtures against Serbia on January 17 and Spain on January 19; only the top two advance and points carry into the main round.
- The game followed Wolff’s pre-match critique of Austria’s seven-on-six approach, and Germany’s squad choices included sidelined Nils Lichtlein and the omission of Rune Dahmke.