Despite many absent, the Olympic champions beat Croats 27 to 22 for their first euro match. They should validate their qualification for the main round Saturday against Ukraine, who has lost in front of Serbia.
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The French Handballs have ideally launched their European Championship, dominating Croatia (27-22), Thursday, January 13, in Hungary. At the end of a mastered match, the France team came an opponent outcome as it weakened by a cascade of packages.
The confrontations between France and Croatia are no longer as epic as at the time of “Costauds” and “experts”, but the rivalry between these two great nations of the handball remains strong. The atmosphere in the Szeged Pick Arena was all the more hot as Croatian supporters had moved into number – Croatia is a border country of Hungary – and that France had eliminated Croatia during the playoffs for the Tokyo Games in March 2021.
“We started well, then we complicated the match with bullet losses. In the goals, Vincent Gérard has released a big match. We played intelligently in attack. Overall, we have good Mastered this match, “said the left back of the France team, Nikola Karabatic, at the microphone of Bein Sports after the meeting.
A good start of the blues
The main French satisfaction came from the defense. Throughout the meeting, players at the Red and White checkered have had trouble finding favorable shooting positions. Alongside Ludovic Fabregas, Karl Konan, the left back of Aix, who disputes his first international competition, has been convincing.
It was very expected because it replaces Luka Karabatic, injured in the right thigh and package for the euro. The younger brother of Nikola Karabatic was a pillar of the blue defense at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.
Well helped by his two towers of the defense, the goalkeeper Vincent Gérard has multiplied the prowess in the tricolor cages, with 14 parades. The Portier du Paris SG had largely missed the preparation of the blue because of a family drama before Christmas.
In Dika MEM attack, the Barcelona star, was a permanent danger at 9 meters. Hugo Descate at the left wing has also been effective. The two players complete better markers of the meeting. Only downside, the relative weakness of the bench, the players who entered the French side play struggled to get up to the holders.
The Blues made a good start of match, led by a Dika Mem on fire. The Croatian Defense taking the water, the red and white coach asked a first dead time after 9 minutes, while France led 7 to 2. After 15 minutes of play, the Croats had only registered three goals.
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