Thanks to its beautiful 3rd place final in the 2020-2021 French championship last May, the ESBF had obtained the right to re-taste at the European Cup this season, and without having to go through the first two qualifying rounds of the European League (new name for the former EHF Cup disputed by handball players in Bisontine between 2017 and the end of 2019), the equivalent of the Europa League in football, the antechamber of the Champions League in both disciplines.
And this Saturday night, this third round-trip went perfectly at the Besançon Sports Palace which – rare enough to be highlighted on European evenings – was only three quarters full: 2,500 enthusiastic spectators, despite everything!
Two years, to the day or so after its last European match (home defeat against the formidable Danish armada of Odense, in the 3rd round of the EHF Cup), the ESBF launched its 21st continental campaign – since 1984 – on a large victory (34-23) against the vice champions of Spain of theAtlético Guardés, who had only traveled to Franche-Comté with twelve players (sixteen, normally, on a European Cup match sheet) because of absences due to injuries in their workforce!
The final gap could and should have been even larger on the scoreboard
Apart from the 2-2 on the scoreboard after seven minutes of play, Sébastien Mizoule’s daughters were in the lead throughout the game (4-2.8 ‘/ 10-6.17’ / 18-12, half time / 27-16, 48 ‘), even counting up to 13 goals at the start of the last three minutes (32-19, 57’): “we could even and should have won by +15 at least”, confided the perfectionist coach bisontin after the match.
The statistics of most of her managerial players are nevertheless excellent: 7/8 shooting for Camille Aoustin (best scorer of the evening), 5/6 for captain Pauline Robert, 5/7 for Sabrina Zazaï (including 4/5 from the penalty spot) or even the 4/4 of the Polish Aleksandra Rosiak and the 2/2 of Alizée Frécon-Demouge.
Without forgetting the babysitters: Sakura Hauge (9 saves on 21 opposing shots) and Roxanne frank (4 stops in total, all made during the first twenty minutes)!
Qualification more than on track, a priori, during the second leg in Spain
In short, with his comfortable mattress 11 goals ahead, ESBF seems to be on a more than favorable run for qualification in the Group Stage (Top 16) of the European League. the return match of this 3rd round in the small hall of Atlético Guardès, in Galicia on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, is scheduled this Sunday, November 21 (7 p.m., still to be experienced live on France Blue Besançon).
Corn before, there will already have to be negotiated the last day of the championship of France before the international break -for cause of the 2021 World Cup in Spain- until the resumption of competition at the beginning of next January.
Les Bisontines, currently 8th with one game behind, receive Toulon (13th / 14th) this Wednesday November 17th (8pm) at the end of the 9th day of D1 / Ligue Butagaz Energie.