An excellent start - solid in defense, fluttering in attack - twice plus four, and then an inexplicable block and the first defeat of Montenegrin handball players at the European Championship.
After three victories in the first stage, the "lionesses" had to congratulate the host Hungary at the start of the main round (26:20).
"We will be guided by those first ten minutes in order to see what was good, and especially with the other 50 and what was not," said Suzana Lazović, the head coach of Montenegro.
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What happened in tonight's match, where did the game from the first phase disappear?
"Hungary didn't surprise us with anything new, we expected everything, but we didn't achieve anything we planned. Let's move on, we have to learn lessons and think positively - we have three more games and everything is still open," added Lazović.
The head coach of Montenegro touched on many mistakes in tonight's match in Debrecen.
"Such mistakes must not happen - not only against Hungary, but against every stronger team, and those who went to the main round punish them all dangerously. We had a lot of problems, everything we planned did not go as we wanted. With technical mistakes also happened, those missed zicers, and their wings jumped 'from a small angle' and therefore expanded our defense and created space," the coach explained.
Less than 20 hours after the match with Hungary, the most important match of the tournament follows - tomorrow (18 p.m.) against world champions France. The victory leaves the "lionesses" in the game for the semi-finals, a defeat would practically mean the end of the dreams of Vienna.
"It won't be the first time we play in such a short time, so I believe in these girls - after this tonight, I don't think it can go down, but that we will take a big step forward," concluded Suzana Lazović.
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