The Spanish handball team is playing a good part of its ticket to the Paris Games today in the second match of the Pre-Olympic against Slovenia (9:00 p.m.). A key match for which coach Jordi Ribera will not be able to count on full-back Dani Dujshebaev, with muscular overload.
A victory against Slovenia would put the Hispanics with two wins, and they would reach the last day, Sunday against Brazil (5:45 p.m.), with their homework almost done. A loss could lead to an uncertain three-way tie that could keep them out of the Games.
Against Bahrain, Spain had no rival. Jordi Ribera was able to reserve Cañellas and Maqueda for the key duel against Slovenia, who defeated Brazil 27-26 in the second duel of the day with a goal with three seconds remaining.
Slovenia is an old acquaintance of the Spanish. The most painful precedent was in the 2016 Olympic Qualifiers in Malmö, where Spain lost the first match with the Balkans; a defeat that would cost him to be left out of the Rio Games.
The team led by Uros Zorman, which is seeking its fourth Olympic participation (it was in 2000, 2004 and 2016), has a solid block, in which the Blaugrana’s Blasz Janc – MVP of the match against Brazil – and Borut Mackovsek stand out. or Blaz Blagotinsek.
