Doubt will therefore not have invaded the minds of the Blues for very long. After an eventful preparation – positive test for Covid-19 by captain Valentin Porte, attack by Elohim Prandi on New Year’s Eve -, the French have successfully entered the running at Euro 2022, Thursday January 13. Guillaume Gille’s men overcame Croatia in a tense end to the game with an expulsion from the Croatian side (27-22).
However, with a defeat in the only preparation match against Germany (24-25), absent major players (Nedim Remili, Luka Karabatic, Timothey N’Guessan) and a first competition after the retirement of former executives ( Michaël Guigou, Luc Abalo), France did not come to this Euro with the certainty of an Olympic champion team.
In a Pick Arena in Szeged (Hungary) acquired from Croatian supporters, the Blues of Guillaume Gille alternated the (very) good and the less good. It seemed obvious that the context in which this French team prepared for this competition was going to show up. This was the case, and some questions arose during the two periods, while the Blues had perfectly succeeded in their start in both halves.
To win, the France team had to fight against vengeful Croats, who had missed the last Olympics through the fault of the Habs during the TQO. So revengeful that the Croats showed an excess of commitment during the second period, marked by the exclusion of David Mandic for a hand in the face of Kentin Mahé (47th) and a triple numerical inferiority of two minutes.
After this dead time more than committed at the physical level, the Blues took advantage of their numerical superiority to roll out and try to forget this air pocket in the first period. For eight long minutes, from the 9th to the 18th, the Blues wandered on the floor without scoring. But were able to count on an excellent Vincent Gérard, author of a capital benefit with no less than 14 stops (41% of opposing attempts repelled). Despite everything, the French only had a two-goal lead at the break (13-11).
WHAT. A. SHOT. @LudovicFabregas @FRAHandball #watchgamesseemore pic.twitter.com/2V1CLuaD2L
— EHF EURO (@EHFEURO) January 13, 2022
The difference, the French have therefore made it at the start of each period. In the first in particular, when they found themselves at +5 after ten minutes, on a goal from Ludovic Fabregas (5 goals). It was he, for his 100th selection, who came to close the mark at the end of the match on the French side. Before that, on the two half-time starts, the best player of the game, Dika Mem (6 goals), blew up the Croatian defense. Just like Hugo Descat (7 goals), top scorer of the Blues and whose determination had the merit of waking up his teammates in weak times.
By winning against Croatia on the first day of these European championships, a match that coach Guillaume Gille considered “essential“, the France team is already taking a big step towards qualifying for the second round. On Saturday, the Blues will have to secure against Ukraine, a priori the weakest team in group C, before facing Serbia on Monday.
⏰ It’s over! : 22 – 27
The BLUEs start the Euro perfectly by winning against the Croats! ✊
France will face Ukraine in their second game next Saturday
GO BLUES ❤️#BleuetProud #EHFeuro2022 pic.twitter.com/qHDfesiEKV– French Handball teams (@FRAHandball) January 13, 2022
After winning the Tokyo Olympics, France knows that it is the team to beat in this tournament, although it has not won the Euro since 2014. Not enough to destabilize the Blues who have experienced last few weeks able to bring them back down from their little cloud. And two years after the resounding failure at Euro 2020 with elimination from the preliminary round, the Blues know what to expect.