Driven by the stops of Laura Glauser in the first period, the French handball players, Olympic champions this summer in Tokyo, dominated Hungary 33 to 28, for their first of two preparatory matches for the World-2021, Friday in Paris.
Coralie Lassource’s teammates will face Hungary a second time on Sunday afternoon (5:00 p.m.), still in Coubertin, before heading to Granollers in Spain, where they will be looking for a third planetary coronation after 2003. and 2017.
Friday evening in a well-filled Coubertin stadium in western Paris, the Bleues took a tiny quarter of an hour to take the measure of unruly Hungarians, with four temporary exclusions which allowed the French to escape the score (7 -1 over these four periods).
Executives at rest
During the first thirty minutes of play, Laura Glauser, aligned to keep the goals of the France team, achieved an excellent performance, with nine saves at 50%. Something to restore her confidence, she who did not participate in the golden adventure in Tokyo a little less than four months ago. It was well helped by a defense which gradually suffocated the Magyar offensives, muddled in the first period. Result: nine goals difference (18-9) when returning to the locker room at the break, with their two center-halves Grace Zaadi (four goals) and Méline Nocandy (3) in great shape.
The second period was more balanced, but Estelle Nze Minko, best player of Euro-2020 a year ago, provided the spectacle for the 3,500 spectators of Coubertin, ending the meeting with eight goals, including six in the second. period and a kung fu offered by Pauline Coatanéa to finish. The last quarter of an hour was more complicated, with the Hungarians gradually returning to the score (31-27, 56th), taking advantage of a little less physical blow from the Blue.
For this first preparation match, Olivier Krumbholz decided on Friday to leave Cléopatre Darleux, Allison Pineau, Lucie Garnier and Orlane Ondono to rest. The French will start their World Cup against Angola next Friday (6 p.m.), before moving on against Slovenia (December 5, 6 p.m.) then against Montenegro (December 7, 8:30 p.m.).
