Germany Sneaks By Macedonia for Handball Win

The enormous support and euphoria shown by the Macedonian fans throughout the match was dampened after Germany scored in the last minute for a 24-23 win over Macedonia, the first victory in the Group B.

The small Balkan country has been overwhelmed by handball euphoria since the start of the Championship, which is hosted this year by Serbia. More than 5,000 Macedonian fans armed with flags and horns have poured into the southern Serbian city of Nis over the past week to show support for their team.

While most managed to get a seat in the sports hall, others watched the game in the Macedonian fan zone or at bars in Nis.

Support was matched by fans who stayed home. The bars in the Macedonian capital Skopje have been filled with supporters who've come to watch their handball heroes on the screen.

On Tuesday night, Macedonia missed an opportunity to put the game away when left wing Dejan Manaskov failed to connect with the net at 23:22.

Germany then used the opportunity and overcame the Macedonian lead for their first victory in the tournament.

Macedonia has only one point after its draw (26:26) with Sweden in the first round of Group B on Sunday and ranks last in the group.

The team must beat the Czech Republic on Thursday if they want to move on to the second round, which starts on Saturday in the Serbian cities of Belgrade and Novi Sad.