Hand/Euro-2024: the Blues serious against Portugal while waiting for the rest

Already qualified for the rest of the competition, the Blues finished the preliminary round of Euro-2024 handball flawlessly by winning against Portugal (28-16) Monday evening in Basel (Switzerland).

Sébastien Gardillou’s players leave Switzerland with three victories in as many confrontations after largely beating Poland (35-22) at the opening of the competition then winning with character a close match against Spain (24-22), a nation which posed the most problems for them during this first stage in Basel.

Facing Portugal, in a meeting without sporting issues since their opponents could no longer qualify, the Olympic vice-champions quickly took the lead.

The defense – one of coach Sébastien Gardillou’s priorities – was solid, and several players with less playing time were able to show themselves throughout the match, like Sarah Bouktit (5 goals/6) who played a very good game.

“I found a little bit of the game I had with Metz when I had a lot of playing time (…) I was full of confidence for the future”she appreciated.

“We were serious, we can erase one or two goals but here we are really talking about perfection”analyzed center-half Tamara Horacek, evening captain in the absence of Estelle Nze Minko, preserved. “Now,” she continued, “we can head towards the main tournament calmly, we will progress match after match. »

Not lined up during the first two matches, Deborah Lassource, Alicia Toublanc (5/7) and goalkeeper Floriane André also made their debut in this Euro.

The latter also made a superb entry into Laura Glauser’s relay (8/16), leaving the Portuguese at a distance. The Blues continued to race in the lead to quietly finish the match despite less shooting success.

Black point of the evening, the exit of left winger Coralie Lassource, hit in the ankle, a fact regretted by Gardillou annoyed by the “super dangerous situation” which led to its release.

Two matches in two days

After these three matches, the 49-year-old coach was in any case satisfied with his players, who “have fun playing handball, understand what is expected of them. I give them performance indicators, they achieve them regularly”he stressed.

From an accounting point of view, the reigning world champions will keep for the main round in Hungary the two points acquired during their victory against Poland, also qualified – after a 26-23 success against Spain – and transferred to the same group.

The French will not play again against the Poles but will have four other matches to play in this new group of six, against the first two teams of groups A (Hungary and Sweden) and B (which ends Tuesday).

After a trip to Debrecen on Tuesday, the serious things will begin straight away with two consecutive meetings on Thursday then Friday.

The first two nations from each group will join the final four in Vienna. But there is still a long way to go.