the French team qualifies for the main round after its victory against Spain

After two matches in this European handball championship, the first objective has already been achieved for the French women’s team. The latter will compete in the main round of the competition, thanks to its two victories in two preliminary round matches. But two days after their success without a hitch against Poland (35-22) for their entry into the running, the Tricolores had to fight until the last minute to defeat the Spanish team at the last minute (24-22). ), Saturday November 30, in the Saint-Jacques hall in Basel (Switzerland).

This meeting against Guerreras will certainly have several virtues. The first of these will be to give the Olympic vice-champions the conviction of being able to win even when everything seems to be going in the wrong direction. For a very long time in this match, before the last quarter of an hour when they managed to reverse the course of the match, Sébastien Gardillou’s players were manhandled by their Spanish opponents.

The Blues were warned: six days before their entry into the competition, they had been beaten by a hair by the Guerreras (27-28) during a friendly match in Saint-Chamond (Loire). The threat was identified: with seven goals scored during this meeting, left back Danila So Delgado was dazzling. On Saturday, she was even more so, voted player of the match with nine goals, including seven in the first period.

Gardillou’s “cold anger” at the break

Thanks to the young 23-year-old player, the Spanish led by one at the break (11-10) and this rebuilding selection once again posed enormous problems for France. The Blues even found themselves three points behind their opponents of the day in the heart of the second period, before simultaneously benefiting from the excellent performance of Chloé Valentini (six goals from six attempted shots) and a decisive Hatadou Sako after his entry into play in goal (five saves out of eleven opposing attempts).

The Blues, who relied on their solid defensive base, will have plenty to work on in the coming days, with a certain waste in the offensive game, like captain Estelle Nze Minko, unhappy in the last gesture ( no goals scored on four shots attempted). Despite the difficulties of the day and a “cold anger” at half-time by Sébastien Gardillou, the latter congratulated his players at the end of the match, at the TMC microphone: “Well done to the girls because they showed self-sacrifice. »

Before flying to Debrecen (Hungary) to play the main round from December 5, the Blues will have one last match of the preliminary round to play, against Portugal, Monday, still in Basel. By taking with them the lessons of this difficult meeting against Guerreras. “It feels good to have matches like that, it proves our strength of character and it’s important for the future”confided Chloé Valentini, after the match, on TMC. Thanks to this painful victory, the reigning world champions may also have achieved a founding success on Saturday.