Paris (AFP)

The Messines finally beat the Brestoises this season, Wednesday in the first leg of the Women's Handball League, a great success (31-24) which allows them to take a serious option on a 24th championship title before the return Sunday to their rivals.

Since the Bretons' rise to the elite from the 2016/2017 season, their duels with the Lorraines have been the essential rivalry of the French championship.

At the Arena, which welcomed 800 spectators on Wednesday, the Slovenian Tjasa Tsanko carried Metz, with great efficiency (7 goals in 9 shots), enough to give regrets to the supporters of the Dragonnes to see her soon return to her country after only one year in France.

On the Brest side, her compatriot Ana Gros, named best player of the regular season, seemed frustrated for a long time, forcing several shots, but the 30-year-old rear ended up making her talent speak (10 goals).

The Lorraines, reigning champions since last season did not come to an end, are aiming for a 24th crown while their opponents have never been crowned.

In 2012, Arvor29, based in Brest, had indeed been titled just before going bankrupt but had been replaced by the BBH, left from Nationale 1.

Already winners of the Coupe de France on Saturday, the Brestoises, defenders of Messines in the Champions League quarter-finals, will play in the Final Four in Budapest on May 29 and 30.

No French club has won the most prestigious of European competitions and the team coached by Laurent Bezeau seemed somewhat disturbed by this brilliant goal.

This was not the case for the players of Emmanuel Mayonnade, world champion with the Netherlands in 2019, who completed the first half with three goals (16-13).

Despite the entry of Brest goalkeeper Cléopâtre Darleux, the gap against the visitors fell to five units at a quarter of an hour from the end, then to seven goals barely three minutes later, and then intermittently until eight.

Even the expulsion at the end of the game for two minutes of center-half Méline Nocandy (6 goals at 100% success) did not disturb the domination of the locals.

With this comfortable seven-goal mattress, Metz can hope to avoid ending a season without any trophies for the first time since 2012.

© 2021 AFP