It was harder than expected. After a first 3-0 success in Tel Aviv against Turkey at the start of the Eirope championship, the French team almost fell into the Portuguese trap. The Olympic champions got away with winning 3-1 (: 25-21, 25-27, 25-19, 25-15) but the game was not easy.
The Blues did the job but a stubborn first set but they wasted energy in the second set won 27-25. It was a little better after that but against a Portuguese team, 26th nation in the world, which cannot aspire to a podium, the Blues spent a little too much time on the ground.
Satisfaction nevertheless: Earvin Ngapeth replayed at the end of the match. Absent from all the preparation matches due to a painful thigh (crack in the quadriceps tendon of the right thigh), then plagued by a recalcitrant knee, the star of the Blues had been spared against Turkey. Ngapeth came on late in the fourth set to stretch his legs a bit.
The French team now has a rest day. Italy coach Andrea Giani’s players will play against Israel on Saturday (7:30 p.m.) to get closer to qualifying for the round of 16 and first place in the group. France will still play against Romania (31st nation in the world) on September 4 and will finish their group stage the next day against Greece (34th). The road to the Final Four on September 14 and 16 in Rome is still long, but the French got off to a good start at this Euro, which is contested in 4 countries (Italy, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Israel).
