Tunisia vs Greece

The match, played at the Palazzeto dello Sport in Fasano, started with both sides trading goals in the opening quarter. Tunisia held firm through the first 15 minutes, staying within a goal or two of their European opponents. But Greece found another gear midway through the first half, stringing together a decisive run that opened a gap Tunisia never closed.

Greece carried a comfortable lead into the break and maintained their attacking rhythm after the restart. Their fast transitions and clinical finishing from the wings repeatedly unpicked the Tunisian defence. The final 37–29 scoreline reflected a game that Greece controlled from start to finish, though Tunisia never let the margin spiral entirely out of hand.

Greece's surge between the 20th and 30th minute proved decisive. After a competitive opening phase, the Greek side rattled off four unanswered goals in quick succession, turning a narrow lead into a 6–8 goal cushion that forced Tunisia into chase mode for the remainder of the contest. Tunisia had no answer to Greece's pace in transition during this spell.

Greece's attacking unit shared the scoring load effectively. The Greek back court created consistent separation against Tunisia's 6–0 defence, with their playmakers finding pockets of space that yielded high-percentage chances. The wing play was particularly sharp, stretching the Tunisian defence wide and creating one-on-one opportunities.

For Tunisia, the challenge was as much defensive as offensive: conceding 37 goals puts significant pressure on any attack, and despite periods of cohesion in their own offensive sets, they never managed to string together the consecutive stops needed to mount a serious challenge.

The 37–29 scoreline tells a story of offensive efficiency more than defensive collapse. Greece's eight-goal victory margin speaks to their ability to sustain scoring output across 60 minutes — reaching 37 goals requires both pace and precision. Tunisia's 29 is a respectable total in international handball, but conceding at that rate against a team that also scored freely is a structural problem the coaching staff will need to address before their next group match. In a four-team group where goal difference may decide qualification, the +8 margin is a significant early advantage for Greece.

Group B also features Algeria and Cyprus, with the top two teams advancing to the semi-finals scheduled for 31 August at the Palazzeto dello Sport. Greece now sit joint-top of the group with a vital positive goal-difference marker. Tunisia will need to regroup quickly: their next group fixture is against Algeria, a direct rival for the second qualification spot. The African derby carries extra weight now — a defeat would leave Tunisia's semi-final hopes hanging by a thread.

Greece arrived as the higher-ranked side and delivered exactly the performance expected of a team with semi-final ambitions. The margin of victory, built on a telling spell before half-time, sends a message to the rest of Group B. Tunisia showed enough in patches to suggest they can compete, but defensive cohesion over 60 minutes remains a work in progress.