By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 14 minutes ago, Updated now
The Blues made short work of the Italians (50-16) and broke their record for goals in a match on Wednesday in Villeneuve-d’Ascq during a qualifying match for Euro 2024.
A walk to start. The French women’s handball team got off to a good start against Italy (50-16) on Wednesday in a qualifying match for Euro-2024, its season which will lead it towards its main objective: the Olympic Games at home next summer .
At the Palacium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, the Blues have never been worried by the Italians, who are not part of the world’s elite. Olivier Krumbholz’s players even took the opportunity to break the record for the highest number of goals scored in a match in the history of Les Bleues.
This match above all kicked off an international season full of challenges for French players with the World Championship (November 29 – December 17) and especially the Olympic Games at home next summer.
Goals in transition
The Blues will continue a new qualifying match for Euro-2024 in Latvia on Saturday (5:10 p.m.), against a team which a priori has even fewer references at this level.
It is therefore in the game that these Blues were particularly awaited, while they have been engaged for almost a year in an overhaul of their attacking game.
«Progress in the attacking game must be validated, asked Olivier Krumbholz before the meeting. In training, it shows. There is more fluidity, less ball loss, more precision.»
But the weak opposition proposed by the Italians did not really make it possible to realize such progress. The French scored a number of goals in transition, taking advantage of the opponent’s 25 turnovers.
In this exercise, captain Estelle Nze Minko (seven goals) immediately showed the way forward, imitated by Chloé Valentini (nine).
The gap having quickly increased, Olivier Krumbholz was able to rotate his team. Dalila Abdesselam was able to score her first goal with the France team and Méline Nocandy, who is returning from a serious injury, also stood out.
