It's the big day for the French women's football team.

In search of a first title, Les Bleues are playing their first match of Euro 2022 this Sunday at 9 p.m. in Rotherham. tricolor ambitions.

Les Bleues land in the city in the north of England in the shoes of contenders for the coronation, on July 31 at Wembley, in the wake of their captain Wendie Renard and a youth of undeniable talent, like the scorer star Marie Antoinette Katoto.

A series of fourteen victories in a row

Since the 2019 World Cup at home, completed in the quarter-finals, the formation led by Corinne Deacon has offered a renewed and conquering face, with 28 accumulated victories, against two draws and only one defeat, in April 2021 against the United States (2-0).

The series of fourteen victories in a row preceding the Euro "gives confidence", but France "starts another competition, we must reset the counters", declared the coach on Saturday at a press conference.

We must not project ourselves beyond the first round, "a mini-championship" where Les Bleues will have to "respect all the teams" and in particular Italy, a "strong collective with high-level individuals", has for its warns Renard, the multi-titled defender of OL.

“Let go” for this first match

France, the third nation in the world, has inherited a group well within its reach, but it probably starts with the toughest opposition, a team from Italy (14th in the Fifa rankings) in progress and carried by Cristiana Girelli, Barbara Bonansea or even Sara Gama, the captain.

The first match is often "more difficult" it will be necessary "just to let go, play with (his) qualities and have confidence", urged Renard.

This introduction should "set the tone" of the tournament for Les Bleues, according to French goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, who plays at Juventus Turin.

But beware of the Italians, ready to raise their level: "To face a team as strong as France, we must exceed our physical and technical qualities", thus warned the coach Milena Bertolini.

“And for that, we must be united and tactically on point, Italian style”.

Since the start of the Euro, no misstep has been observed among the large peloton of favorites, whether England (1-0 against Austria), Norway (4-1 against Northern Ireland North), Spain (4-1 against Finland) and especially Germany, the most successful nation in the Euro, which punished Denmark with a scathing 4-0.

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