The French team ensured that it finished in first place in Group A2 on Friday, dominating its Austrian runners-up in Rennes (3-0).
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Mission accomplished for the Blues. The French team punched its ticket for the Final Four of the League of Nations, Friday December 1 in Rennes, by winning against Austria (3-0) – the only opponent who could still deprive them of first place in their group – at the end of a controlled game where they never trembled.
Driven by a sold-out Roazhon Park where more than 26,000 spectators gathered, Hervé Renard’s players quickly took the lead thanks to a header from Amandine Henry from a free kick from Selma Bacha (5th), before Eugénie Le Sommer doubled the lead (57th) and Marie-Antoinette Katoto scored on her return (84th) after a year and a half of absence.
End of drought for Le Sommer
If the evening was quiet for the Blues, the involvement of midfielders Grace Geyoro and Kenza Dali, starting for her return after a post-World Cup injury, is not unrelated. The two often made it possible to bring the surplus on the right wing, like the Austrian foul scratched by the Parisian which led to the opening of the score.
Nations League: Le Sommer scores the break goal
Eugénie Le Sommer takes her revenge after her missed penalty at the end of the first period and finally scores the break goal for the Blues. Perfectly served behind at the entrance to the area by De Almeida, the Lyon player deceives the Austrian goalkeeper with a cross shot into the side net. The top scorer in the history of Les Bleues scores her 93rd goal for the French team. – ()
Launched by Kenza Dali, the full-back Elisa De Almeida then once again rushed into this area to offer, with a back pass, her 93rd international goal to Eugénie Le Sommer. A small relief for the best scorer in the history of Les Bleues who remained in five matches without scoring. Enough to forget that she had seen her penalty attempt deflected by the opposing goal just before the break (42nd).
Winning comeback for Katoto
As good news never comes alone, Hervé Renard also took the opportunity to record a major comeback… and a winning one. Seriously injured knee during Euro 2022, Marie-Antoinette celebrated her first minutes in selection for more than a year by completing the French success with a well-felt helmet strike on a corner from Selma Bacha (83rd), double passer this Friday.
League of Nations: the winning return of Marie-Antoinette Katoto for 3-0
Returning at half-time, Parisian striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto made a winning return to the French team by scoring the third French goal. Thanks to a splendid uncrossed header from a Selma Bacha corner, Katoto allows the Blues to head towards the Final Four of the Nations League. – ()
While her entry at the break to replace Kadidiatou Diani, who was injured in the thigh before the break, caused Eugénie Le Sommer to slide to the right side, the Paris Saint-Germain striker also showed her qualities as a fixation point, to make his partners play.
This bodes well for the France team which will have two matches to win in February to win this Nations League, which would be the first title in the history of the selection. Until then, the Blues will try to continue their momentum in Portugal, Tuesday, in a meeting with no other challenge for them than to end the year 2023 on a good note.