Handball World Cup: the French team wins against Austria and finishes its preliminary round perfectly

The Blues will start the second phase, from Tuesday in Varazdin in the north of Croatia, with four points on the clock after finishing at the top of group C, ahead of the Austrians (2 pts in the main round). The latter competed more than Qatar and Kuwait, swept aside (37-19 and 43-19).

But, handicapped by three major absences on the back base, their two left-handers (Janko Bozovic and Boris Zivkovic) and their star right-hander Nikola Bilyk (Kiel), they did not manage, despite the noisy support of their supporters, to push as much the French in their entrenchments than at Euro 2024, where they led at half-time (16-15, 33-28 defeat in the end).

The French team this time never trailed, apart from the very first minutes (2-1). Leading by four goals at half-time (19-15), it experienced a very slight slump upon returning from the locker room, where Austria came back to within two lengths (19-17), then again had a ball to reduce the gap to two units (21-18, 38th).

Bolzinger's great beginnings

An opportunity annihilated by a point-blank save from MHB goalkeeper Charles Bolzinger, who marked his entry into the World Cup with a convincing performance. Promoted to the match sheet after the withdrawal for the rest of the competition, announced a few hours before the match, of Samir Bellahcene injured in the right thigh, the tall (1.98 m) and young goalkeeper (24 years old) stopped a penalty as soon as he came into play (25th).

He did not come out again, notably making a few decisive saves at the end of the match to preserve the gap acquired by exploiting in particular, with several goals in the empty cage, the decision of the Austrians to play seven against six (25-19, 44th then 30-24, 52nd). Dylan Nahi enjoyed this game situation (5/6 in the end). The Blues were also able to count on the contribution on the back base of Dika Mem and Thibaud Briet (6/8 each).