Portugal’s women’s handball team secured a decisive 33-19 victory over Austria at the Carpathian Trophy on Saturday, building momentum for its 2026 European Championship qualification campaign despite an earlier tournament defeat.
The win in Bistrita, Romania, marks a rebound for the squad after its opening match loss to host nation Romania, which ended 40-28. This tournament serves as a crucial preparatory stage for the upcoming European qualifiers.
Against Austria, Portugal took control early, establishing a lead around the 10-minute mark and maintaining an 18-12 advantage by halftime.
Joana Resende and Mihaela Minciuna were Portugal’s top scorers, each netting five goals. Constança Sequeira and Maria Unjanque added four goals apiece. Austria’s Ana Pandza also scored five goals.
Portugal’s goalkeepers, Caroline Martins and Matilde Rosa, collectively made seven saves. Martins had a 50% save rate, while Rosa saved 37% of shots faced.
The team is scheduled to conclude its participation in the Carpathian Trophy on Sunday, facing the Czech Republic. The match is set for 1:00 PM UTC.
In the ongoing Group 4 qualifiers for the 2026 European Championship, Portugal has a mixed record. They secured a narrow 26-25 home victory against Iceland but suffered a 29-22 defeat to Montenegro.
Portugal’s qualification journey will continue in March with two matches against the Faroe Islands.