The statistics are clear: in 23 games so far there have been five wins, two draws and 16 defeats, only once did the Icelanders have to bend for Austria in a competition game – at 28:23 in autumn 2020 in Wr. Neustadt (EM-Quali). The 25-year-old Bilyk, just like the 36:27 test success in the last meeting so far in 2014, was not yet represented in the A selection. For him it is “completely irrelevant” anyway, about four months after the disappointing EM (20th place) only the now counts: “We can create something that not everyone expects.”
In March, a much younger team had to fight their way to two relatively narrow victories against outsiders Estonia in the first qualifying play-off. Now team manager Ales Pajovic has two more important players available: center man Lukas Hutecek is back after an injury, as is the right-hand man Backcourt player Boris Zivkovic, who was absent against Estonia due to the birth of his child. “I’m very happy about that,” said Pajovic, who is still missing veteran Janko Bozovic.
Men’s handball underdogs against Iceland
For Austria’s men’s handball team, the World Cup play-off against Iceland on Wednesday and Saturday is about qualifying for the sixth major event in a row. However, Ales Pajovic’s team is a blatant outsider in the duel against the sixth place in the European Championship.
Defense as the key to success
“We saw at the European Championship how strong they are, Iceland was a medal candidate there,” said Pajovic about the team around backcourt veteran Aron Palmarsson. For Bilyk it is clear that solutions are needed against the 6-0 defense of the Icelanders, which sometimes also form a 3-3. “Iceland don’t necessarily have the big guys on defence, they will come out earlier to disrupt our game. We have to win duels, work with our pivots and enemas,” said the Kiel legionnaire, setting the direction.
The be-all and end-all, as always, will be a clean defensive performance. “When the defense plays well, like against Estonia, then the goalie is good too,” said Pajovic, recalling the recent games. Ralf Patrick Häusle from Bregenz, who was still inexperienced in the team, had cut a good figure. “He did a great job,” Pajovic praised the goalkeeper, who will be in demand again this time.
You want to work out at least a good starting position for the second leg in front of a full house in Bregenz. “It’s going to be a huge task, but it’s 60 minutes twice, in handball anything is possible,” said Bilyk. A win over two games would of course be a small sensation: “That would be something really big against a nation that is among the top five in Europe.”
