Germany's women's basketball team opened their European Championship qualifying campaign with a 64-70 defeat to Hungary at Hamburg's Inselparkarena in the Wilhelmsburg district.
Opening defeat and game flow
This game marked Germany's first outing in Euro qualifying, against what were described as their strongest group opponents on paper. Both teams initially went toe to toe with a clear focus on attack, and Hungary made the better start to the game. After exactly three minutes, Leonie Fiebich gave Germany their first lead at 7-6.
Germany's wayward finishing and technical errors left them eight points behind at 19-27 after the first quarter. Fiebich and her team-mates battled under the baskets and dived for loose balls. A three-pointer from Frieda Bühner capped a 9-0 run in the space of two minutes and cut the gap to 28-29, but Germany could not turn the game around at that stage. Germany were behind at half-time against Hungary, and their two-point shooting percentage stood at 40 per cent at the break.
After the interval, Hungary did not look overpowering, but Germany's much-improved defence still could not shift the momentum. Germany missed too many shots in the second half. Two consecutive three-pointers from Emily Bessoir brought Germany back to within five points at 60-65, yet the hosts ultimately fell to a 64-70 loss.
Injury issues and squad composition
Head coach Olaf Lange's side was affected by injuries, with several key players ruled out. Nyara Sabally, Satou Sabally and captain Marie Gülich were all unavailable for Germany's game against Hungary. Even so, seven members of Germany's World Cup squad played against Hungary, including the entire starting five.
Offensive struggles and Hungary's display
Germany offered too little in attack in front of 2,892 spectators at Hamburg's Inselparkarena and struggled to find a consistent scoring rhythm. Germany made too many mistakes against Hungary, who had reached the World Cup quarter-finals, and their shooting problems were evident. Hungary's solid performance was enough for victory as Germany struggled with their shooting.
Leonie Fiebich was Germany's leading scorer with 19 points against Hungary, and she and her team-mates battled under the baskets and for loose balls, but the offensive output remained insufficient.
Upcoming fixtures and qualification picture
Germany's women are scheduled to travel to Denmark on Saturday and then face Portugal away on Tuesday in European Championship qualifying. The return fixtures in the four-team qualifying group are set to take place in February. The top two teams in the four-team qualifying group will secure places at the European Championship.
The European Championship finals are scheduled to be held from 16 to 27 June 2027 in Belgium, Finland, Lithuania and Sweden.
