The DHB team’s two appearances at the home European Championship were very convincing – but none of that counts against France anymore.
By Robin Tillenburg (Berlin)
Germany’s handball players have recorded two big victories against Switzerland and North Macedonia at the European Championships – securing their place in the main round. The third and final opponent in the preliminary round, France, only really convinced in the final phase of their own win against North Macedonia, surprisingly only played a draw against Switzerland and is, at least mathematically, not yet guaranteed to make it into the main round (even if Switzerland probably won’t score 23 goals on the third matchday). will catch up with the French). And yet the starting position for the DHB and the French before the game on Tuesday evening (January 16, 2024, from 8:15 p.m. live on the first and in the stream, as well as here in the audio stream) is actually identical: losing is (quasi) forbidden.
Because: As is often the case with handball tournaments, only the points from the preliminary round that you got against the other qualified team from your own group are taken into the main round. This means: If the Germans lose against France, they would go into the main round with 0 points, the French would have two – and vice versa. Anyone who moves into the main round without points will probably not be allowed to lose any of the four games if they want to reach the semi-finals – at least that was the case at the last European Championship.
Sports director Axel Kromer also said in a digital media event on Monday that “the European Championship is now really starting for us”. This France game, everyone at the DHB agrees, is de facto the start of the main round.
Legendary game in 2007 – but mostly inferior in the end
The DHB was unable to win a single one of the last five games in major tournaments against the French. The amount of memorable games against France is also enormous. The 2007 World Cup semi-final alone, which the Germans won after double extra time, offered enough excitement and legendary scenes for three handball games.
The last time they were eliminated was almost exactly a year ago in the World Cup quarter-finals with a score of 28:35 (16:16). At that time, the German team had kept up well for a long time, but had failed several times in the second half against France’s goalkeeper Remi Desbonnet, which the experienced French punished coldly.
France very experienced – but not really in the tournament yet
The French haven’t particularly stood out with outstanding goalkeeper performances in this tournament so far, only Kiel’s Samir Bellahcene had a few good moments against Switzerland, but didn’t look entirely happy with a few goals conceded. Overall, the team, which is coached by former Bundesliga player Guillaume Gille, has not yet fully arrived in the tournament.
But that is not atypical for the 2020 Olympic champion. The team, peppered with experienced stars like Nikola and Luka Karabatic, Nedim Remili and Ludovic Fabregas, is built more for the “big games”. Eight players in the squad have already played over 100 international matches, even Dika Mem, who is only 26 years old, has 108. For the Germans, only Kai Häfner, Andreas Wolff and, recently, Jannik Kohlbacher are part of this select club.
In terms of international experience, individual class and last meeting, the French are the favorites for Tuesday’s duel. The performances in the first two games and the home advantage speak for the Germans. Where exactly could national coach Alfred Gislason’s team start? What weaknesses has the French star ensemble shown so far?
With patience and overview you can lure France out of cover
France’s defense has an enormous physicality that has to be overcome first, but in both games the French allowed themselves to be lured out of their reserve at one time or another and speculated, which created gaps for pivots, but also for the wide players. The French conceded 23 goals in the first two games from opposing circles alone – Germany’s playmaker Juri Knorr is known for his strong interaction with captain Johannes Golla on the circle and his good eye in the passing game.
If the Germans radiate enough danger from the backcourt and can open up the French defense – as Andy Schmid managed with Switzerland, for example – the theory goes that the necessary space should arise. However, slight mistakes or missed throws lead to France punishing them coldly in the counter-attack game, as they did in the 2023 World Cup quarter-finals. That’s also why the national coach says: “We need one of our best games.”
France with great individual class, no tactical surprises
In attack, the French play more statically compared to the Germans. At first they attack from their own defense, but if that doesn’t lead to success, they don’t rely so much on movement, but rather on the individual class and clever decisions of their stars. “The team’s great strength is its individuality,” explains ARD expert Dominik Klein.
This hasn’t always worked reliably so far, only left-hander Dika Mem has been really consistently dangerous, especially from the backcourt. Mem and the passes to Fabregas or Dylan Nahi, who ran into the circle from outside, were the means that worked against the good Swiss defense and that France increasingly relied on. One thing is clear, even if the French attack moves are not as delicate as those of other nations: the German defense has not yet had such a task physically in this tournament. However, the big tactical surprise is unlikely to come from the “Equipe Tricolore”.
Everything is set for a game that could be decisive for the rest of the tournament. A long-awaited win against the French at a big tournament and, above all, the two points for the main round in Cologne could give the German team the decisive boost it needs to continue riding the wave of success in the main round. A possibly even clear defeat would not be the end of all hopes, but it would still be an extremely heavy backpack for the coming days.