Two days after being reassured against Iceland, the French team must convince against Slovenia and refuel for the main round.
What face will the French team have when it comes up against Slovenia, that of Thursday for its sluggish entry into contention against Angola, that of Saturday more serene to crush Iceland or yet another whose details we do not know? outlines? One thing is certain, he will have to be more serious and continue to gain strength against an opponent who is rebuilding, to avoid a dangerous and complex main round.
“Now we are qualified for the second round, but being tied with Slovenia, Monday’s match will be very important. To put it simply, the team that wins will leave with four points and will have an option for the quarter-finals , it will be much more complicated for the loser”, summarized Olivier Krumbholz after the success against Iceland. A success which reassured him in content and attitudes but which cost the Tricolores dearly. Indeed, the black point of the evening was Laura Flippes’ injury. The right-back suffers from a thigh injury and will be sidelined for several matches, or even the rest of the competition depending on the severity of his injury.
A hard blow for the French collective where Flippes has established itself in recent years. To cope, the coach recalled Océane Sercien-Ugolin, whom he had dismissed in preparation. A player who knows Krumbholz’s requirements well and will be able to integrate quickly. For the rest, the French collective seems to be structured and gaining strength. “It was important for everyone to feel good and get back in the right direction after the first difficult match against Angola. Even me, personally, I needed to get in the right direction. Not just in as captain, but also as a player. I needed new sensations, to be in the right direction again. Even if we had a little more difficulty in the second half, it’s still a match positive, where each player was able to express themselves and this bodes well for the future”, declared the captain, Estelle Nze Minko after the match against Iceland
A feeling shared by the other players including Lucie Granier. The right winger felt that the Blues had “advanced in all areas of the game. Defense is our DNA, but we were also able to work on the placed attack and the rises of the ball this evening. I would say that we has stored up lots of good things, lots of positive things that we will undoubtedly be able to reuse in the coming days.”
These positive things will not be too much against Slovenia. If the French have only lost once against their Balkan rivals, they know that they must not take them lightly.
Deprived of their best player Ana Gros, in the group but still unavailable, the Slovenes launched their World Cup perfectly with two victories by the same score (30-24) against Iceland and Angola, qualifying for the tour. main. Dragan Azdic’s players were thus able to rely on Natasa Ljepoja who did not miss a single shot during these two matches and is 12/12 (8/8 against Iceland and 4/4 against Angola ), but also on a good state of mind.
Through this world championship, the Slovenes see further and have given themselves a mission: to reach Paris next summer and play the Olympic Games there. “Our biggest wish and our goal is to win our place to compete in the Olympic qualifications. Our team is not complete here but the players present will give their best. We have young people who are experiencing their first competition and they have the opportunity to show themselves. We will develop as a team and show great performances”, reveals Stanko, another essential cog in the Slovenian collective.
Against the Blues, she and her teammates would see themselves doing the same thing in 2017 when they inflicted their only defeat on them in their confrontations. It was also in the preliminary round and at the end, the Tricolores had lifted the trophy. If the context is different, Krumbholz and his players would see nothing against a repeat if the final result is the same, with the caveat that in the main round, they will have an appointment with Norway, Austria and South Korea. South and that the full number of points would open the way to the first two qualifying places for the quarter-finals. It’s up to the Tricolores to show the right face.
The third and final match of the preliminary round of the women’s handball world championship, in Group D, between France and Slovenia will take place from 9 p.m., at the DNB Arena, in Stavanger (Norway).
The third and final match of the preliminary round of the women’s handball world championship, in Group D, between France and Slovenia will be broadcast live on beIN Sport 1 and TFX.
The meeting between Olivier Krumbholz’s France and Dragan Adzic’s Slovenia will be available in streaming on the CanalPlay and MyTF1 platform.
Betclic: France: 1.08 / Draw: 15 / Slovenia: 12
Parions Sport: France: 1.05 / Draw: 18 / Slovenia: 8.00
Winamax: France: 1.06 / Draw: 21 / Slovenia: 9.50
France: Goalkeeper: Laura Glauser – Right Back: Océane Sercien-Ugolin, Center Half: Méline Nocandi, Left Back: Estelle Nze Minko – Right Wing: Chloé Valentini, Pivot: Pauletta Foppa, Left Wing: Alicia Toublanc.
Slovenia: Goalkeeper: Amra Pandzic – Right Back: Barbara Lazovic, Center Half: Tjasa Stanko, Left Back: Ana Abina – Right Wing: Alja Varagic, Center: Natasa Ljepoja, Left Wing: Tamara Mavsar.
