It's a full house for the Blues at the World Handball Championship.

The France team, already qualified for the quarter-finals, continued its flawless course by signing a sixth victory on Sunday against Spain (28-26) in Krakow, to finish at the top of its group.

This place sends France in the table part of Sweden, reigning European champion and potential opponent in the semi-finals in Stockholm.

Before thinking about the last four, they will have to defeat in quarters, Wednesday in Gdansk, Germany or Norway, opposed on Monday.

Two teams already qualified

If they said they wanted to calibrate themselves, before this double or quits match, against one of the best teams in the world and of a level not yet encountered since the start of the competition, it is not certain that they can draw a lot of lessons from this game played for a long time at a very calm tempo between two teams that have already qualified.

Spain started it with its second team, except for the presence of captain Gedeon Guardiola, while Guillaume Gille aligned his standard team minus Nikola Karabatic, spared like Friday against Iran (41-29) because touched in the left foot.

The coach of the Blues, on the other hand, recorded the return of his right-back Dika Mem, who only played the opening match against Poland (26-24) before injuring his abdominals.

With 4 goals out of 6 attempts, the FC Barcelona player seems fully recovered.

Gille then made his first almost complete rotation (only Nedim Remili remained) before the 20th minute.

Elohim Prandi twists his ankle

The French have long not put the defensive intensity of a cleaver match.

They made some bad choices and sometimes showed clumsiness in shooting, which can be attributed to a certain lack of concentration.

But, in front of some 80 French supporters who came to put some atmosphere in the icy Tauron Arena (15,000 seats), two-thirds empty, they did not let go when they were led by three goals at the start of the second period. (16-19, 38th).

They gradually caught up to go back in front just over 10 minutes from the end (24-23, 49th) after a goal from Elohim Prandi, who twisted his left ankle on his own at the very end of the match.

The end of the game was more worthy of a clash between leaders, and Gille's cry of rage when Nicolas Tournat gave the Blues a three-goal lead (27-24, 55th), or Gérard's clenched fist when he stopped Kauldi Odriozola's shot to maintain the gap (58th) proves that the reigning Olympic champions did not intend their winning momentum to be so easily interrupted before the cutthroat matches.

Sport

Handball World Cup: Spain qualifies the Blues for the quarterfinals

Sport

Handball World Cup: The Blues open the way to the quarters by knocking out Montenegro

  • Handball

  • Sport

  • French Handball team

  • Spain

  • Poland