Tallinn (AFP)

The French volleyball players, Olympic champions four weeks ago in Tokyo, applied Sunday against Croatia for their second victory in as many matches at Euro-2021 and will pass a first test on Monday (7:00 p.m.) against Germany.

After playing 79 minutes to fold their entry into contention against Slovakia on Friday in three sets (25-22, 25-20, 25-19), the French were visibly in a hurry to return to their hotel on Sunday early evening in the center of Tallinn, on the shores of the Baltic, since they closed the case against Croatia in 77 minutes, also in three sets (25-15, 25-16, 26-24).

Only the last round was a little more hung up, finally won on an ace from Antoine Brizard, while Jean Patry continued to delight the spectators of the Saku Suurhall in Tallinn, a little more numerous on Sunday for the match of the Olympic champions than Friday evening (800 against 230 two days earlier).

Named the best point of the Olympics, Patry, thirteen points, was omnipresent for almost two sets, on offense (nine points), serve (one) and block (three), before Bernardinho left him to rest for the end of the match, bringing in the young Théo Faure.

The new coach took the opportunity to turn his squad a little, with the entries of Antoine Brizard on the pass, or Yacine Louati at the end of the second round and throughout the third set.

- Reunion with Germany -

Here are the French with two victories on the clock without losing a single round, just like Germany, easy winner of Croatia on Friday and Estonia on Sunday afternoon.

In this first round largely within their reach, the French knew from the draw at the end of May that the clash with the Nationalmannschaft would be their first highlight, with very probably the first place in the group.

"They play well from the start, impose their physique. They have cracked Estonia. They have a lot of experience," said Brizard.

The French players against on a smash from the German Gyorgi Grozer during the January 2020 qualifying tournament John MACDOUGALL AFP / Archives

"It's always good to play against such a team. We don't face the Olympic champions every day. We know that they are a very strong team, but if we evolve at our level, we can have a good battle. ", warns the striker-receiver of Germany Christian Fromm, who will play next season with AS Cannes.

During the Olympic qualifying tournament in Berlin in January 2020, the Blues secured their place in Tokyo by winning against Germany in the final, after an epic battle against Slovenia in the semi-finals.

More recently, the French beat their next opponent in the League of Nations in June, but only in the tie break.

Present in the stands, the Italian coach of Germany, Andrea Giani, did not miss a single point in the French match on Sunday, to try to find flaws in the French game.

© 2021 AFP