There is something in handball that the German national team traditionally does not like at all.

If the opponent plays with an aggressive, offensive defense and hardly allows well-rehearsed attack moves, the German selection has mostly looked old in recent years - regardless of who played and which coach sat on the bench.

The wild-looking action with a defensive player who has been brought forward and others who come out quickly has little to do with the well-tended handball game that Germans appreciate.

Often the result is hectic in your own ranks, there are no pass partners, you lose the ball, and you ask yourself: Can't you train that?

But.

You can.

But you need a player, or better still two, in your own ranks who don't get nervous against an offensive defense.

Stay cool.

Intelligent game control is required.

And that's what the German Handball Federation (DHB) is hoping for this Monday morning (4.00 a.m. CEST in the FAZ live ticker for the Olympics, on ZDF and on Eurosport) at the Olympic handball tournament against Argentina.

Bitter defeat against Spain

“Argentina plays very combat-oriented. In defense they are offensive and aggressive, they are always looking for duels, "said Axel Kromer, sports director of the DHB, about the next opponent, who lost their first game 27:33 against France, but kept up well. Kromer demands: “We have to show the cleverness that we have already shown in the past few months. We have a tactically very clever game control via our back center position with Philipp Weber and Juri Knorr. You have to come up with the right ideas so that we don't have to mercilessly fight these duels. "

Philipp Weber is Alfred Gislason's first choice as a director.

At the bitter 27:28 against Spain on Saturday morning Weber had done well against Iberians who barely covered offensively.

Even Knorr had a good moment in the few minutes when Gislason used him.

In order not to be hopelessly behind after two games, a victory over the unconventionally playing South Americans must now be achieved on Monday.

It will be important that neither Weber nor Knorr lose their nerve if they are attacked early and see out of the corner of their eye that the people next to them in the back area have already been attacked.

Of course, there are gaps when an opponent covers in the 5: 1 variant or even in the 3: 2: 1 - but you have to spot them first.

And use.

Kromer's reference to cleverness bodes poorly. Against the average 34-year-old Spaniard, there were not only three controversial referee decisions in the last 90 seconds that prevented a victory, but also awarded free throws, including two seven meters. In the end, Gislasons Sieben had not been particularly well rested against the ripped off Iberians.

Other things gave courage.

Gislason has also rehearsed a more offensive cover with the preferred Hendrik Pekeler.

The unfamiliar German formation posed problems for Spain in the middle of the second half.

Finn Lemke was a winner at the back, and the game with the circle runner went pretty well up front.

Overall, the German handball players wanted to draw confidence from the narrow defeat against the European champions for the next tasks, knowing that there are still tough opponents in France and Norway.

Until then, the stress test against Argentina's wild defense has to be passed on Monday morning.