Les Bleues lose to the Spanish world champions for their last meeting of the year

The French team ends the year 2024 on Tuesday with a defeat against the Spanish (4-2), reigning world champions.

The world champions held their place. The Spanish dominated the French (4-2) on Tuesday, December 3 at the Allianz Riviera in Nice, during a friendly match without any issues. From the outset, the players of Laurent Bonadei, new coach of the French women's team who took office in mid-October, were manhandled by their opponents with a goal scored by double Ballon d'Or Aitana Bonmati in the 6th minute, then by Claudia Pina (23rd). “We were caught out cold from the start of the match, before coming back to score a bit,” conceded the French coach at break with the hope of achieving “make the opportunities we have come true” in the second half.

If the desire was there, the realization did not follow. Trailing 2-1 at the break (after an own goal from María Méndez Fernández, 37th), the French did not really find any fault in the opposing lines. Worse, Hispanic domination was accentuated with a third goal, this time signed by Lucia Garcia Cordoba (60th). If Kadidiatou Diani had kept hope alive in the 71st minute, Mariona Caldentey consolidated Spanish domination at the end of the game, from the penalty spot (81st).

If it was only a friendly meeting, this match was full of lessons. After their victory three days ago against Nigeria, the French did not convince during this real test. Too imprecise in defense and missing several opportunities, the Blues still have to settle with their newly arrived coach. For Captain Wendy Renard, “readjustments have to be made. We have to maintain rigor and be more aggressive. These are matches where we have to learn”, she said at the microphone of France 4.

“These matches are reference matches, to test and take stock in order to see which system we will adapt for the resumption”, also underlined Laurent Bonadei, who has already pointed out in particular a lack of efficiency in defense. Precisely, the new boss of the Bleues did not voluntarily field a typical team unlike the Spanish, in order to rotate at the end of the season and give everyone playing time. With, in sight, a major objective in 2025: the women's Euro which will take place from July 2 to 27 in Switzerland.