European Championship day 4: Oranje and Belgium comfortable, Germany narrowly past Portugal

Belgium keep Turkey scoreless from 5‑4 until 24‑5

Belgium beat Turkey 35‑6 in Poule F, in Otrokovice, and only let the Turks come close in the first quarter (5‑4). Turkey scored four times in that quarter, twice from distance: Ezgi Yurdagül equalised in the first minute and Necdet Enes Çetin brought the Turks back to 5‑4 in the seventh minute. Through Kian Amorgaste and two goals from Lisa Pauwels it was 8‑4 after the first quarter.

From 5‑4, Belgium scored nineteen goals in a row, up to 24‑5 in the third quarter. In the second quarter Turkey did not score once and Belgium scored nine times, three of them by Lisa Pauwels: half-time 17‑4. Referee Chris West warned Amorgaste and Ahmet Kanat twice each in the first half, mainly for contact at the rebound and dangerous play; Belgium took Amorgaste off at half-time, and Kanat still received a yellow card in the third quarter at 24‑5.

After the break Belgium went on through Wout van Elsacker, Britt Saey and Eline Denie to 26‑5 after three quarters and 35‑6. Lise van Maldeghem was top scorer with six goals, Lisa Pauwels scored five and Arne van Damme four; twelve Belgians scored. Ezgi Yurdagül went off with a foot injury in the final quarter and Hilal Karas missed a penalty in the closing stages. On Wednesday Belgium play Germany and Turkey play Portugal.

Read more: Lizzie Tighe plays against her brother at the European Championship: "We are used to it"

Germany only ahead for the first time at 13‑12

Germany beat Portugal 18‑17 in Poule F, in Otrokovice, and only took the lead for the first time in the third quarter. Tiago Ferro opened the scoring for Portugal after just over three minutes, Júlio Duraes Ruivo put the Portuguese 1‑3 up, and after the first quarter it was 3‑4. In the second quarter Portugal pulled away to 4‑6 through a free pass from Inês Santos and a long shot from Hugo Fernandes, but Theo Nowak levelled with two long shots (7‑7) and Thomas Freund made it 8‑8 just before half-time.

After the break Portugal still got to 10‑12, but Hannah Heilmann and Lea Witthaus levelled, and in the 29th minute Anna Orth put Germany ahead for the first time with a long shot: 13‑12. Both coaches only made substitutions at the start of the final quarter. In it, the lead went back and forth until 15‑15; Heilmann made it 16‑15, Witthaus then missed a penalty, and after a Portugal time-out Heilmann shot 17‑15.

Duraes Ruivo pulled one back to 17‑16, Madeline Gust shot 18‑16 from distance, and Ferro converted a penalty in the 40th minute: 18‑17. Portugal got one last attack, but that shot was defended. Nowak, with four long shots, and Duraes Ruivo were top scorers with five goals; Portugal scored four times from the spot, Germany once. On Wednesday Germany play Belgium and Portugal play Turkey.

Czechia pull away from Catalonia after 9‑7

Czechia beat Catalonia 27‑15 in Poule E in Prostějov. It started fiercely: Sara Sahatciu opened the scoring after fourteen seconds, Lukas Holik scored two within two minutes, and Julia Soriano Milián missed a penalty in the first minute: 4‑1. Catalonia closed the gap to 5‑4 through Pau Segura Aparicio, responsible for the first two Catalan goals, Soriano Milián and Laura Tobaruela Ruiz, but lost Segura Aparicio at that score: he went down with his ankle and was replaced by Temi Combis Julià.

After the first quarter (7‑5) Catalonia called a time-out at 9‑7, and right after that Czechia opened the gap: Sahatciu, Petr Snajdr from the spot, Holik, Rostislav Kortus from distance and Snajdr scored five goals in a row, 14‑7. At half-time it was 15‑9. After the break Petr Galicek came on and the host nation went on through Holik and Galicek to 22‑12 after three quarters; a second Catalonia time-out at 19‑11 brought no turnaround.

Holik stood out with seven goals, Galicek scored five and Sahatciu four; for Catalonia Soriano Milián was top scorer with six. The crowd in Prostějov beat drums throughout the match. Czechia have now won nine of the eleven meetings with Catalonia. On Wednesday Czechia play the Netherlands and Catalonia play England.

The Netherlands pull away from England after 20‑6

The Netherlands beat England 37‑9 in Poule E, in Prostějov. England opened the scoring: Kenzie Baldock made it 0‑1 with a run-in after 46 seconds. Oranje then scored six goals in a row, and after an England time-out at 5‑1 they went on, with three goals from Jorien Jordaan among others, to 10‑2 after the first quarter.

At 6‑3, the second quarter was the closest of the match. Dominic Brooks converted a penalty and Shane Buckland scored from distance, after which the Netherlands called a time-out at 16‑5; just before half-time Buckland missed a penalty. At half-time Nikki Boerhout and Sabine Verhoef came on for Brett Zuijdwegt and Fleur Hoek, who did not score; Boerhout scored twice in a row in the third quarter.

After captain Joseph Bedford's 20‑6, England failed to score for more than thirteen minutes, and the Netherlands pulled away to 35‑6 with fifteen goals in a row. Jordaan was top scorer with nine goals, Annelie de Korte scored six, four with a run-in, and twelve Dutch players scored. Wouter Wildschut missed a penalty at 34‑6; Billy Ashby set the final score at 37‑9 in the closing seconds. On Wednesday the Netherlands play Czechia and England play Catalonia.

Poland settle it against Ireland in the first quarter

Poland beat Ireland 14‑2 in Poule G and already had the match in hand after the first quarter. Poland opened with seven goals in a row, Ireland called a time-out at 5‑0, and Daisy Tighe scored the first Irish goal just before the end of the first quarter: 7‑1.

In the second quarter Poland pulled away to 11‑1 through Tamara Siemieniuk and Paulina Ploszka. Alf Timney got Ireland on the scoresheet for the second and last time at 12‑2, which was also the half-time score. After the break Ireland limited the damage: Poland scored twice more in the third quarter and there were no more goals in the final quarter.

Ploszka and Siemieniuk were Poland's top scorers with three goals each. Ireland defended well and often made Poland run down the shot clock, but their own shots did not go in; Daisy Tighe went off injured in the final quarter. Poland have now also won the eighth meeting with Ireland, after seven earlier wins since the European Championship of 2010 (21‑8). On Wednesday Poland play Wales and Ireland play Switzerland.

Wales never behind against Switzerland

Wales beat Switzerland 15‑12 in Poule G and were never behind. Yasmin Williams opened with a run-in, Anouk van Kammen equalised ten seconds later, and at 4‑2 Switzerland called a time-out. The first quarter ended 5‑3; in the second, Carra Tillon levelled from the spot (7‑7) and Lieke Dam Wichers made it 8‑8 from distance, after which Leo Comerford took Wales into half-time at 9‑8.

After the break Wales opened a gap: Williams, Joanne Davies and James Wilcox, with a free pass, took the team to 13‑10 after three quarters, and Annie McKay made it 14‑10 in the 36th minute, the biggest margin of the match. Yet it still became tense. Rainier Gfeller and Sean Berry both missed a penalty, Aaliyah Gfeller and Romain Nijenhuis brought Switzerland back to 14‑12 in the 38th minute, and after a Wales time-out Kristopher Banham decided it from the spot in the 40th minute: 15‑12.

Williams and Banham scored three each for Wales, Tillon three for Switzerland. It was a match full of interceptions, with a fierce duel under the basket between Nijenhuis and Banham. Wales beat Switzerland for the first time, after defeats in 2021 (7‑12) and 2022 (13‑16). On Wednesday Poland - Wales and Switzerland - Ireland are on the schedule.

Hungary pull away from Serbia after 9‑9

Hungary beat Serbia 18‑11 in Poule H, but only pulled away in the final quarter. Hungary opened the scoring, Petar Perkovic equalised from the spot, and after a 4‑2 lead after the first quarter Hungary went through long spells without a goal, despite good chances. Serbia kept coming back, mainly from the spot and through Mina Vukic; after a Serbian equaliser national coach Barnabas Hack called a time-out, and at half-time it was 6‑6.

After the break it stayed level until 9‑9, the goal with which Petar Perkovic levelled from the rebound after three quarters. György Dörfi had held the tall Serbian top scorer to one goal until then. In the final quarter Hungary broke loose: Míra Kiss, Noémi Tóth from the spot and Anna Vágó from distance made it 12‑9 in a short time, a Serbia time-out did not break that rhythm, and with nine goals in the final quarter Hungary pulled away to 18‑10.

Kiss and Tóth scored four each, Zsolt Ferenc Majer three, as did Petar Perkovic, who made it 18‑11 from the spot in the closing minutes. Hungary also won the three previous meetings with Serbia. On Wednesday Hungary play Slovakia and Serbia play Scotland.

Slovakia finish few chances, but beat Scotland

Slovakia beat Scotland 12‑7 in Poule H, in a low-scoring match. Abbie Mahoney put Scotland 0‑1 up with a run-in after 28 seconds, Zuzana Bušíková equalised straight away from the spot, and after that Slovakia were never behind again. Through Zuzana Hrosovska, Oliver Ondrejec and a penalty from Jakub Krajc it was 4‑1 in the seventh minute; Scotland called a time-out, and the first quarter also ended at that score.

Slovakia had many chances, but finished few: 6‑2 at half-time and 8‑3 after three quarters, and Ondrejec missed a penalty at 8‑3; Scotland also missed one, Jennifer Devlin at 5‑1. Scotland defended fiercely and limited the Slovak shots, but up to 8‑3 their own goals came only from the women: Nadine Gallagher scored two. There were more goals in the final quarter: Ben Fleming and Cody Sargent scored from distance for Scotland, Ema Ondrejcova, Timea Darnadiova from the spot and Patrik Kocur with a run-in for Slovakia, and Beth Taylor set the final score at 12‑7.

Bušíková was Slovakia's top scorer with three goals, Gallagher Scotland's with two. It was Gallagher's 41st international, equalling the Scottish record for most caps. Of the seven meetings between the two, Scotland won one, in 2014. On Wednesday Slovakia play Hungary and Scotland play Serbia.

Last pool matches on Wednesday

Wednesday sees the last pool matches of the second round: Poland - Wales and Hungary - Slovakia at 12:30, Switzerland - Ireland and Scotland - Serbia at 14:15, Netherlands - Czechia and Belgium - Germany at 16:00, and Catalonia - England and Portugal - Turkey at 17:45.