The reigning Olympic champions will cover the 70 km that separate them from Krakow, where they will face Montenegro (Wednesday), Iran (Friday) then Spain (Sunday), with the maximum number of points in their suitcases: four ( like the Spaniards), two more than the Slovenes and Montenegrins.

Or, agrees the coach Guillaume Gille, a "small safety mattress" for the qualification in quarters, which will join the first two of the next round.

The Blues will be part of it except big surprise with two successes.

"We make our way easier while remaining humble. We are going to change hotels, air, it will do everyone good. And little by little open the door to the quarters" tempers the center half Kentin Mahe.

As a wise old man who, at 38, is playing his tenth World Cup, Nikola Karabatic wants to "try to forget this right to error", at the risk of "using it before" facing Spain at the end.

"You have to try to focus on each game but I'm not worried: the guys are really motivated, very focused, I don't see us showing a lack of vigilance," he added.

"Conquest"

The performance delivered on Monday, against the Slovenes who had crushed Poland (32-23) in front of their audience, is indeed reassuring.

The Blues were constantly in the lead and could almost have folded the case at half-time (16-14) if they had not conceded five temporary exclusions in the first period, two in the last five minutes ( Remili and Richardson).

The leader of the Blues Nikola Karabatic resists the charge of Slovenian Blaz Janc during the French success in Katowice, January 16, 2023 © JANEK SKARZYNSKI / AFP

The final gap finally widened in the middle of the second period (28-22, 46th) against the Slovenians suffocated by the tricolor defense.

"I found a bit of a winning spirit again. We needed to be very aggressive. We had to move this team, prevent them from developing their polished game, and in this context, we were very present “ noted Gille.

To solidify his rear guard, the coach was able to count on the return of the captain, Luka Karabatic, spared during the first two matches due to back pain.

"He's one of the best defenders in the world, if not the best. When they're there with 'Chiqui' (Fabregas), it stabilizes our defense well," noted his older brother Nikola.

The youngest, "not yet 100% with still small pains that will drag on a little", appreciated having "been able to regain sensations".

Luka Karabatic crossed paths with Mem, who had to forfeit due to abdominal pain.

"We preferred not to take any risks. It's complicated to imagine when and how (he can come back), without waffling, really I don't know," commented Gille.

Reservoir richness

The absence of the right-back from FC Barcelona, ​​one of the best players in the world, has been perfectly filled, a sign of the wealth of the tricolor reservoir.

French winger Dylan Nahi against Slovenia in Group B of the World Handball Championship in Katowice, January 16, 2023 © JANEK SKARZYNSKI / AFP

Nedim Remili returned to his left-back position as if he had never left it (7 goals out of 8 attempts) and was replaced as center half by Kentin Mahé (7/13).

"I know my role in this team, where I have to be and what I have to do. I'm very comfortable in this team, when I'm released it happens like that, it's cool" underlined Remili soberly .

Gille appreciated having several strings to his bow, "plenty of ways to consider team configurations", which will allow him, from Wednesday, to maintain a level of "performance" while preserving "the physical " of his troops and by distributing "the playing time as best as possible".

A rich man's problem.

© 2023 AFP