Big handball games come to a head in just a few scenes.

It's these "dying minutes" that make handball so exciting - so unbearably exciting that on Monday evening around 10:00 p.m., some living room fans suddenly had to go to the fridge or the toilet, hoping that in their absence, please , please end well for the German national team.

Didn't.

Jannik Kohlbacher had just scored the first German lead, 25:24 in the 52nd minute, when the Germans got an opportunity to increase their lead to two goals.

But first the otherwise good left winger Juri Knorr tried to pass Rune Dahmke behind his back and lost the ball (he missed the large gap towards the goal that was open to him), then Luca Witzke made the forbidden lunge in the direction of the Norwegian during a defensive action on the outside Kevin Gulliksen: Penalty penalty, red card (54th minute).

In the next attack, Knorr was called a foul (55th).

Norway scored, Knorr rejected the next attack, Norway made it 27:25 in the 56th minute: the German elite handball players conceded three goals, none of which they threw - and gave away the win in just 134 seconds.

France is a tough nut to crack

The 26:28 (16:18) against the Scandinavians looked like a momentous defeat.

National coach Alfred Gislason's seven had actually wanted to use the tailwind of a victory over Norway to defeat Spain in the quarter-finals in Gdansk on Wednesday as the winner of the main round group three.

But now France is waiting - a tough nut for the German Handball Federation (DHB).

One that could never be cracked in the end.

Gislason openly said after the first tournament defeat that he would have preferred to play against Spain.

Their offensive defense, their lame attacks, the whole mentality: Although the Spaniards are German feared opponents number one, if you look at the results since 2016, but recently his team had come closer to them.

Against France with its hard, long defense and the backcourt shooter around the famous left-hander Dika Mem – Germany on Wednesday (8.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the handball world championship and on ZDF) is really the “underdog” when Knorr denies his team , regardless of who they faced in the last eight.

But there was at least a trace of courage, after a tournament that was characterized by lightness and enthusiasm until Monday evening: "There was more to it.

It annoys us all how that went.

I also disagree with a few situations.

But I am convinced that we will show character on Wednesday.

We knew that game against Norway wouldn't be decisive," said Knorr.

Golla and colleagues had to be annoyed because the Norwegians, who are now still undefeated, did not conjure up a best performance themselves on the floor of the "Spodek" arena.

Their new coach Jonas Wille gave Sander Sagosen and Harald Reinkind plenty of breaks, trusted Vetle Aga Eck at the back and allowed defender Christian O'Sullivan to play a lot in attack.

For a long time, both teams lacked the last determination.

Gislason started with Joel Birlehm in goal.

That failed.

Andreas Wolff came on after almost nine minutes and stabilized the shaky German defense.

At the front, Knorr's goals kept the Germans in the game, and Rune Dahmke's 16:16 in the 27th minute meant that the weak early phase was forgotten.

Gislason changed a lot.

He tried different defensive formations, he brought first Christoph Steinert, then Djibril M'Bengue for the weak Kai Häfner.

Up front he gave Kohlbacher confidence, because captain Johannes Golla rejected unusually freestanding.

But the crucial personal touch came from the Norwegians – their first-choice goalkeeper Torbjörn Bergerud only came on after the break and robbed the Germans of their last nerve with his saves.

In the end, the former Flensburg player fended off every second ball, and the German attack effectiveness, which had been so good before, slipped to 50 percent.

"We threw away the win against the goalkeeper," said Gislason later, "we create good chances but don't take them.

We would have won with a better rate.”

Another impression stuck.

Apart from goalkeeper Wolff and director Knorr, no German reached his performance limit.

Some, like Häfner or Philipp Weber, were no help at all this time.

Julian Köster was so challenged in defense that he ran out of breath up front.

In general, the strength – in the seventh game of this World Cup on Wednesday against the physically strong French it will also depend on what reserves the team still has.

And since the Norway appearance was not particularly optimistic.