Asphyxiated two days ago at Bercy (44-33) by the Blues and their iron defense, the Spaniards were keen to recover at the Lighthouse, stronghold of the hexagonal hand, where the coach Guillaume Gille had started and then ended his career of player.
They widened the gap in the first period to have a six-point lead at the break (19-13).
The Blues, crowned Olympic champions for the third time last summer in Tokyo then fourth in the Euro in January, quickly returned to two lengths but failed to take control, colliding with the Spanish goalkeeper Sergey Hernandez, efficient.
In the last five minutes, the French created new opportunities to get back into the game.
Kentin Mahé missed a duel with Hernandez which would have allowed his team to equalise.
The Spaniards faltered in an indecisive end to the game where Timothey Nguessan made his power speak from afar.
But a kung fu from the Dujshebaev brothers delivered the Spaniards.
"It's disappointing because we didn't put the ingredients in the first half. We sank a little and afterwards, inevitably (...) it's complicated. We could see a public who pushed hard , it's nice, it's a shame not to have left at least with a draw", reacted the French goalkeeper Vincent Gérard at the microphone of the L'Equipe channel.
© 2022 AFP