with a reshuffled team, the Blues conclude their year with a snatch victory in Portugal

Thanks to its success in a meeting without stakes for it, the French team completed its Nations League campaign undefeated on Tuesday.

They end on a good note. Already qualified for the Final Four, the Blues held their place on Tuesday, December 5, by defeating a Portugal team at the very end of the match which was fighting for its survival in this League A of the Nations League (1-0) in Leiria. A fifth victory in six games, acquired with a large reshuffle, which allows France to complete its campaign undefeated.

In the 94th minute, Grace Geyoro came to give the advantage on a cross from Vicki Becho. Enough to make us forget how much France struggled to set up its game, due to a lack of automatisms with ten changes in its starting lineup. On a failed restart from Estelle Cascarino, the Portuguese Telma Encarnação was also denied a valid goal for offside (57th).

For a long time lacking reference points

Before that, the Portuguese, who have not often shown the intensity required to hope for anything other than relegation to League B, had already almost taken advantage of French losses of ball. It was also necessary for Solène Durand to put out a high-class save to defeat Ana Capeta at the end of the lightning counterattack that followed (15th). Enough to wake up a Dr. Magalhães Pessoa stadium that a fanfare prevented from sounding hollow, despite three quarters of its multicolored seats empty.

Too rarely able to carry the danger effectively into the opposing cage until then, the Blues recovered after the scare of the disallowed goal. Just before giving way to Melvine Malard, Viviane Asseyi hit the post (62nd), while her replacement missed an opportunity to ideally celebrate her reunion with the selection (63rd). Before Geyoro’s achievement, the Mancunian and Vicki Becho also both hit the bar on the same action (90th).

No players suspended from the Final Four

With this success on the gong, the contract is fulfilled for Hervé Renard’s troupe. Especially since none of the players under suspension received a card. At the foot of a stand decorated with a huge portrait of José Mourinho, who officiated for a few months in Leiria at the start of his coaching career, the coach was busy managing playing time to avoid any sanctions. disciplinary. A goal accomplished since the only player in this case to have played the match, Léa Le Garrec, left without warning after 70 minutes.

In February, the French team will try to win the first title in its history at the Final Four. She will know her opponent in the semi-final on December 11.