The major works begin this Thursday (8:30 p.m.) with Norway for the France team at the World Cup in Egypt.
In this shock which brings together the two best teams in group E, Guillaume Gille's men would be well inspired to win in this qualifying round before playing Austria on Saturday, then Switzerland.
This replaced the United States, forfeit due to the case of Covid-19.
Objective: the quarter-finals
This is the minimum for a country which has one of the finest achievements in history for 25 years, with Olympic (2), world (6, the last of which in 2017) and European (3) titles.
This will require finishing first among the top three in the group (and if possible the highest ranked) during the qualifying round.
In the main round, it will then be necessary to finish among the two best of the new group, with three new adversaries to be defined between Portugal, Iceland, Algeria, and Morocco.
This would bode well before attacking the TQO (Olympic qualifying tournament) in mid-March in Montpellier.
The Blues in the dark
There is no point in hiding your face.
The France team arrives in the competition with less certainty than usual.
We were used to seeing her on the top step, which would be a real feat here.
Several factors do not plead in his favor: a catastrophic Euro 2020, almost a year of famine, players who have had little time under the orders of their new coach, an injured star (Nikola Karabatic), and finally two last disappointing results (one loss and one draw) against Serbia.
Favorite Norway
Like their French counterparts, the Scandinavians have suffered the health crisis.
But they will start favorites on paper during this duel between the two best nations of the group.
“Norway offers a Scandinavian game, with a lot of speed of passing and continuity in the game, warns Erick Mathé, assistant coach of the Blues.
The team is rather well oiled, and as soon as it is necessary to be decisive, Sander Sagosen (former player of PSG recent winner of the Champions League with Kiel) responds regularly.
“Although recently beaten in Euro qualifying by Belarus, the 2019 vice-world champions will have more confidence.
Too much perhaps?
