Euro handball 2024: the Blues remove the Hungarian obstacle and will challenge Sweden in the semi-final

Nedim Remili a été élu MVP de la rencontre. nordphoto GmbH – nordphoto GmbH/Meuter

Sereins sur les rives du Rhin, les handballeurs français ont bouclé le tour principal de l'Euro invaincus en surclassant la Hongrie (35-32) mercredi à Cologne, deux jours avant leur demi-finale contre la Suède, tenante du titre.

In pursuit of a fourth European coronation, ten years after the last, the Blues dominated this match without any stakes for them without Nikola Karabatic, preserved for the last four, and by saving ' #39;other frames. In addition to their illustrious No.13, the Olympic champions rested their goalkeeper Samir Bellahcene.

Installed for two matches in the N.1 tracksuit, he took his place on Wednesday in the stands alongside right winger Benoît Kounkoud. This made it possible to revive Rémi Desbonnet for 30 minutes, downgraded throughout the tournament.

A little let down by his defense (5 saves, 22%) in this match which sometimes turned into "hurray handball", the MHB goalkeeper was able to shine in his register, author of several long passes in quick play for his right winger Yanis Lenne, serving Fabregas (12-9, 14th) or scoring himself (18-13, 23rd).

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🇫🇷🇭🇺 Nedim Remili : "On a respecté notre adversaire, on a respecté ce tournoi"#HandAction #FRAHON pic.twitter.com/6tZK3eFOE3

— beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) January 24, 2024

Players like pivot Nicolas Tournat (4 goals) or left back Timothey N'Guessan (1), the least used in the field since the start of the tournament with respectively 42 minutes and 30 minutes on the clock, were able to show themselves six months before the Paris-2024 Olympics where the group will be further tightened from 19 to 15 players.

Even spared, the usual leaders Nedim Remili (7 goals), Dika Mem (6) and Ludovic Fabregas (3) weighed in. The horizon therefore shows a big blue for Guillaume Gille's men: they were able to distribute the playing times without breaking their dynamic before the classic-style clash against Sweden on Friday (5:45 p.m.).

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🇫🇷🇭🇺 Guillaume Gille : "Des souvenirs très contrastés face à la Suède"#HandAction #FRAHON pic.twitter.com/Kpse3b4RpU

— beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) January 24, 2024

Because this is the third semi-final in a row against the "Blagult" (Blue and Yellows) who had deprived the Blues of the Euro final two years earlier, before the French revenge last year at the World Cup.

And even the fourth clash at this stage in three years, since Jim Gottfridsson's gang had stopped Guillaume Gille's men at the gates of the final and the pyramids during the Egyptian World Cup-2021.< /p>