Türkiye were ahead until the 45th minute, when the Macedonians mounted a full comeback, but the teams had to settle for one point each in the end.
GROUP B
North Macedonia vs Türkiye 25:25 (12:15)
- the debutants held a lead throughout the first half and even took a five-goal advantage (6:11) in the 19th minute
- Sara Ristovska scored six goals in the opening half and the Macedonian right wing did not miss a single attempt, while Türkiye's Asli Iskit-Caliskan scored five from five
- Turkish goalkeeper Merve Erbektas made six saves in the opening half (37 per cent save efficiency), but Macedonian Jovana Micevska made five saves in the second half and played a key role in her squad's comeback
- even though small in number, the passionate Macedonian fans outnumbered the Turks and were loudly supporting their favourites at the Fönix Arena
- lethal right wing Ristovska ended the match with eight goals and was selected as the Player of the Match, presented by Grundfos, while Emine Gokdemir scored seven and was Türkiye's top scorer
No winner in the dramatic match in Debrecen
In a match with a lot of technical errors made by both teams or precisely, the Macedonians made eight and the Turks made five in the first half, it was only logical that the squad with better focus as well as concentration would take the points.
With that being said, Kristijan Grchevski’s squad improved after the break, both in defence and attack, with a few options coming in off the bench. The Macedonians took their second lead of the game in the 45th minute, but Türkiye were able to steady their nerves and regain the advantage – only to concede a penalty with 60 seconds on the clock, resulting in the draw.
We expect that the game will be tough also for us, we prepared really long for this game but I think that it’s fair. Both teams fight until the end. We have a bright future so let’s see how it will go for us.
I am satisfied, we were there, but we need to be correct because the game it was in balance. Sometimes (North) Macedonia they have a good point, two goals, and after we come back in the game. Maybe it wasn’t a very, very nice game, but for sure we fight.
