Longeville-lès-Metz (France) (AFP)

The Bleues of Corinne Deacon made a success of their comeback in 2021 by hardly beating a solid team of Switzerland (2-0), Saturday in Metz.

The Habs won thanks to goals scored at the start and end of the game by Wendy Renard (12th) and Perle Morroni (81st).

They will find the same opponent on Tuesday, still at the Saint-Symphorien stadium.

This double confrontation against the Swiss came to replace the Tournoi de France, the second edition of which was also to bring together Iceland and Norway.

But the two Nordic selections finally canceled their visit because of the health context.

Coach Corinne Deacon was also faced with several major absences, notably in attack with Eugénie Le Sommer, tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday and who had to leave Clairefontaine in the wake, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, injured, and Valérie Gauvin, the player Everton remained in England due to travel limitations.

Unbeaten since the World Cup-2019, the Blue have never trembled but were not impressive either against the very physical and well organized Swiss.

The first goal came from a free kick: found at the far post by Amel Majri, Renard placed a crossed header which ended its race in the small opposite net (1-0, 12th).

Then, after a good movement, Sakina Karchaoui is found in the box by Majri but her shot at a closed angle is captured in two stages by the Swiss goalkeeper (19th).

Kadidiatou Diani, in the area, then made a superb sequence of controls and strikes in imbalance which was diverted with the tip of the gloves by Thalmann (26th).

On a new free kick fired on the left by Majri, Renard passed close to the header but the Swiss goalkeeper pushed back the Lyonnaise's attempt on her line (35 ').

The only chance of the Helvetians was a strike from Coumba Sow repulsed by Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (24th).

- Paid coaching -

After the break, the Blues found it more difficult to develop their game against the Swiss who played higher and showed more aggressiveness.

Eager to equalize, the Helvetians took more risks offensively, even if they struggled to worry the French defense, which was vigilant, like the nice rescue of captain Marion Torrent to deflect a ball in depth in the box (64th).

After the hour of play, the Habs regained a little more control and finally worried the opposing goalkeeper, but the volley from Delphine Cascarino (70th) and the strike from Grace Geyoro (71st) fled the frame.

Finally, the Blue managed to double the stake at the end of a beautiful collective action between three players freshly returned to the lawn, validating the coaching of Deacon: Melvine Malard shifted right side Eve Perisset, whose center at the far post was taken from the flat of the foot by Perle Morroni (2-0, 81st).

© 2021 AFP