Romania’s European Championship win after a wild finish: – Actual goalkeeping mistake

Romania beat Spain 28-27 at the European Handball Championship on Friday after a strange goal from an unusual length just seconds from the end in Skopje.

Spain’s Esther Arrojería Arantzazistroke probably thought she had salvaged a point for her team when her 27-27 scoreline became reality with nine seconds left to play in the Macedonian capital. However, that didn’t happen.’

Romania responded with lightning returns, and seconds later Bianca Maria Bazaliu fired in from great distance. The Romanian shooter was just meters inside the Spaniard’s half.

The ball hit Spanish goalkeeper Maddi Aalla Rotaetxe and went into the goal. The shots aren’t well placed either.

– Rotaetxe somehow managed to put the ball into his own net. He didn’t sleep well last night. Rarely do you talk about the goalkeeper’s mistake in handball, but it is the goalkeeper’s mistake. That’s not going to work, said handball expert Ole Erevik during the TV 3 broadcast of the game.

– It’s not something he did on purpose. You can only feel sorry for Rotaetxe, he also said.

The Romanian players naturally cheered wildly when the win was in the box.

– It was luck, and we were lucky on our side. We have to be happy with the result and the situation we are in, said Diana Ciuca from Romania in an interview broadcast on TV 3 after the game.

With the victory, Spain will seriously fight for a place in the semifinals. Now it looks even worse. Romania has only two points so far in the main draw.

Earlier on Friday, Germany pulled off an easy 36-28 win against the Netherlands. Germany also has two points, as does the Netherlands.

(© NTB)