Herning (Denmark) (AFP)

The French handball players have hardly beaten Spain, Thursday evening in Herning (Denmark), 26 to 25, for their first match of the main round of Euro-2020 and will aim for qualification for the semi-finals on Friday (6.15 p.m.) against Russia .

Against Spain, France was scared: after scoring up to seven goals early in the second period (19-12, 41st), the Blue saw Spain return to one goal at the entrance of the last ten minutes (21-20) and trembled until the end.

"It was not easy, we get caught up at the end. The more it goes, the more difficult it will be. It's good to have taken the two points," commented center-half Méline Nocandy.

The scenario of the first period (16-10 at the break) against the Spanish, 2019 world vice-champions but weakened by the absence of their left-back Alexandrina Barbosa (knee injury), had allowed Olivier Krumbholz, coach of the France team, to rotate its workforce a bit in preparation for the clash against Russia, from Friday.

- "We did not give up" -

The heart of the second half, however, was much muddled, with several losses.

A booster shot, while the mechanics seemed extremely well in place for three matches.

"In the first half, we were very good in defense. In the second half, we were crushed. But what I remember is that we did not let go," said the back right Alexandra Lacrabère, voted best player of the match (5 goals on 7 shots), especially at the end of the match.

Amandine Leynaud's saves (eight) were once again extremely valuable in keeping the lead.

As in two of their last three official matches against the "Guerreras" (victories with a goal gap at the 2016 Olympics and Euro-2016), the French won with the smallest gap.

During the third meeting (World-2017), the two teams were neutralized.

The schedule concocted by the organizers obliges the two best teams of this part of the tournament in Herning (three wins in the first round and one victory in the main round) to get back on the field in the space of 24 hours, a decision that the Spanish coach of Russia's Ambros Martin criticized again Thursday night.

"If they want good handball, they can't do that," he said, fearing for the health of the players.

The French had tried, in vain, to postpone the meeting to Sunday afternoon.

The Russian coach spent the evening in the hall in Herning taking notes, while Olivier Krumbholz saw the end of the Russians' match, which was difficult to win against Montenegro (24-23).

© 2020 AFP