The French handball players, Olympic champions in Tokyo and seductive winners of Montenegro (36-27) in Budapest on Monday evening, can still dream of the last four of Euro-2022 with a decisive duel on Wednesday against Denmark for a reunion six months after the final of the Olympic Games.
A draw or a victory, whatever the score, against the Danes, Olympic vice-champions and first qualifiers on Monday after their victory against the Netherlands, would allow the Blues to join the last four.
The return of the tricolor defensive pair
And it will logically be with the Ludovic Fabregas-Karl Konan duo in defense, who had obviously missed them so much two days ago.
Both were absent: flu-like symptoms for the first and a positive test for Covid-19 during the Icelandic rout (29-21) on Saturday.
But the tricolor defensive pair shone for their return.
Like Karl Konan, who was in solitary confinement for six days, but who was disgusted many times by the Montenegrin attack.
A perfect match for the defender of Aix in the heart of a meeting which has not always been in the first period for the Blues.
#EHFEuro2022
🔥 The left side of Les Bleus 🇫🇷 was ON FIRE tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/q5OoC3ZNrq
— HandNews (@HandNewsfr) January 24, 2022
For almost seven minutes in the second quarter of an hour, the Blues were silent, falling on the impressive Montenegrin goalkeeper Nebojsa Simic (9 saves in the first period), and multiplying frustrating loss of balls.
Vincent GĂ©rard's red card in the 17th minute at 11-9 for France could even have changed the game.
Fortunately, his absence put the spotlight on Wesley Pardin, who was quickly decisive, with a spectacular one-on-one save in the 20th minute, when the Montenegrins had a ball to come back to 11-11.
Wesley Pardin on fire
The tricolor goalkeeper responded to Simic's excellent game, with 12 saves.
The French defensive contribution, combined with the excellent meeting of Nikola Karabatic, sometimes passing, sometimes scoring and named best player of the game, finally allowed the Blues to leave with a four-goal advantage at the break ( 12-16).
Erick Mathé, who replaces coach Guillaume Gille, positive for Covid-19, subsequently rotated with a view to the match against Denmark, nevertheless leaving boss Konan behind, the eternal "Kara" in front and counting on the flashes of Dika Mem and the good entry of Benoit Kounkoud, who gradually widened the gap against a team already eliminated.
Thank you Croatia
From now on, it is an even greater obstacle which stands on Wednesday, facing the Danish favorite, double world champion in title.
The Icelandic defeat in the middle of the afternoon against Croatia (23-22) changed things a bit for the French.
While an Icelandic success would have required a victory with a seven-goal difference, now a draw or a victory will be enough on Wednesday against Denmark (8:30 p.m.).
[📺 LIVE] 🏆🤾‍♂️ #EHFEuro2022
🇲🇪🇫🇷 Erick Mathé: "Stability is back!"
pic.twitter.com/2sZu8MFJoH
— beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) January 24, 2022
They could even be qualified before going on the field if Iceland did not beat Montenegro a little earlier (3:30 p.m.).
“This victory does a lot of good, reacted Dika Mem to the microphone of beIN Sports.
The difference between the game against Iceland (Saturday) and the game tonight is that we took more runs to put our backs in a good situation.
It's difficult, because we have a good competition and we lose a match where we shoot ourselves in the foot all by ourselves.
But from the moment there is a possibility, we have the confidence to go after it”.
Sport
Handball Euro: “He is a phenomenon, a superman”… How Nikola Karabatic has crossed the ages
Nikola Karabatic
Handball
Sport
French Handball team
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