The men's national handball team of Ukraine suffered its second consecutive defeat in the European Championship 2028 qualifiers. In the second-round match, the Ukrainians lost to the Serbian national team with a score of 30:41, conceding 11 goals more. The match, which was nominally a home game for Vadym Brazhnyk's team, took place on November 8 in Prešov, Slovakia.
Match Progress and Result
Brazhnyk's charges failed to contain Serbia's attacking potential and trailed throughout the entire meeting. The final 11-goal deficit (30:41) was a continuation of an unsuccessful qualifying start: in the first round, the "blue-and-yellow" lost away to Iceland, falling to one of the qualification favorites by 22 goals. Thus, the Ukrainians finished both starting games with heavy defeats.
Group 3 Situation
After two rounds, Ukraine remains without points in Group 3, which also features Iceland, Serbia, and Estonia. Two consecutive crushing losses significantly complicate the team's position in the fight for a spot in the continental tournament's final stage and pose a challenge for the coaching staff to restructure the game ahead of the next qualification stretch.
Upcoming Matches
The Ukrainian national team will play its next qualification matches in March 2027 against Estonia. First, the teams will meet at Estonia's venue on March 10–11, and a nominally home match for the Ukrainians will take place on March 13–14. These very games will provide an opportunity for the team to break the unsuccessful streak and earn their first points in the qualifying cycle.
Qualification Regulations
According to current regulations, the top two teams from each of the eight groups, as well as the four best third-placed teams, will advance to the final stage of Euro 2028. This means that even with a poor start, Ukraine retains a theoretical chance to make the play-ins or directly qualify through third place, but to do so, it must demonstrate effective play in the upcoming matches.
