North Macedonia backed by thousands of passionate fans in Varaždin had a bright start to the game and took a 2-1 lead which the Netherlands quickly overturned by capitalizing on their opponent's mistakes, turning the game in their favour with a 4-2 lead after just seven minutes.
Boosted by another great performance by left wing Filip Kuzmanoski and line player Zharko Peshevski, the North Macedonians worked their way back into the game and led 8-7 when mometum shifted as Petar Atanasijevikj, who had a crucial role in the team, conceded a direct red card.
This resulted in the Dutch players scoring five unanswered goals and Oranje in general seemed to have things under control at the interval leading 17-13.
The Netherlands had a blistering start to the second half, taking a five-goal lead early on before their opponents launched a terrific comeback and cut the deficit to 23-21. Tempers flared in the dramatic final stages of the game as Oranje's Robin Schoenaker and North Macedonias Milan Lazarevski were handed red cards.
As it became clear that Holland would claim the three points, the North Macedonian supporters threw objects on to the court to the disgust of the Dutch players.
"At one point, when I was preparing for a free throw, they threw water on the goal. It's absolutely insane. It has nothing to do with handball. But that's how it is sometimes," said Mathias Rex.
The Netherlands will try to keep their winning streak going against Hungary on Sunday, while North Macedonia will seek their first win against Guinea which can provide them with a ticket to the main round.