On this beautiful summer evening, Switzerland and Germany met in the very well-filled Ruebisbach sports hall in Kloten. Experience has shown that the second game of the day was already a highlight of the tournament. Despite great support from the ranks, the Swiss national team lost to a strong Germany with 18:27 (6:16)

 

In the first few minutes, the Swiss were able to keep up at 2:3, but the Germans irresistibly pulled away. Especially playmaker Hendrik Schreiber came up trumps in this phase and scored 5 of the first 6 goals. When the score was 2:6, national coach Marcel Tobler already called the first timeout. The Swiss national team continued to struggle with the Germans' steadfast 5-1 defense system and were unable to create any real chances. In return, the northern neighbors attacked routinely and accurately. The deficit grew to 3:8. Although the Germans struggled a bit in the end, they continued to increase their lead because the Swiss still couldn't find any means against the defenses. Despite the clear 3:10 score, the mood in Kloten was still great. The full ranks continued to cheer loudly for the Nati, who consequently scored two goals. To bring a little more momentum into the Swiss attack, Tobler acted with a seventh field player as a substitute for the goalkeeper. But the tactical measure had no effect and the number of goals remained meager while the Germans continued to score. The border around the goal was also not friendly to Switzerland in this half, so the clear result at the break was 6:16.

 

The Swiss then opened the scoring in the second half of the game and seemed to find their way into the game a little better. Magnus Staub in the goal of Switzerland also showed some worth seeing saves and formed a secure backing in the Swiss defensive system. The game was balanced, which gave the atmosphere in the stands an additional boost. The national team was even able to make up for two goals, before the German national coach pulled the second timeout with a score of 13:21 and 50 minutes played. The German team, playing in black, couldn't quite match the level of the first half, although they showed some combinations worth seeing. Even if the red and white national team had to learn the hard way with the 18:27 defeat on the first evening of the Airport Trophy, the handball game shown whets the appetite for more. The next two days offer four more top-level games and a great atmosphere in the stands.