France – Netherlands at the Handball World Cup: at what time and on which channel to watch the second match of the Blues of the main round this Thursday ?

Le gardien montpelliérain Rémi Desbonnet, très en vue sur ce Mondial, sera l'un des atouts des Tricolores. FFH

A draw or a win against the Netherlands would mean qualification for the quarter-finals of this World Cup for the undefeated Blues.

The French team aims to validate its qualification for the quarter-finals of the World Cup this Thursday in Varazdin (Croatia), against the Netherlands. A 5th victory in the tournament would mean 2 additional points that would guarantee 1st place in Group II, even before the final match of the main round on Saturday against the Macedonians. Even a draw would mean qualification.

Also read: “I'm pleasantly surprised that it's running so well, so quickly”, says Valentin Porte happily, referring to the “performance” des Bleus

However, there is still some wariness against the Dutch, 2nd in the group with two wins, who perhaps appear to be the toughest opponents offered to the Tricolores.

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“We will have to be efficient in the withdrawal”

“The Netherlands is total handball with a greater focus on the wide open spaces and on attack. It is up to us to be very solid defensively and to be in control of our 9m because this team plays very well in the close range. We will have to be very efficient in the withdrawal and impose our rhythm“, warns Yoann Delattre, the assistant coach of the Blues.

The French team will be able to count in goal the Montpellier resident Rémi Desbonnet, who has been on fire since the start of the tournament. Former captain turned soldier again, Luka Karabatic, another former Hérault player, may be experiencing his last international competition here, in a valuable role on and off the field for the team.

Luka Karabatic, the guide to defense

The elimination in the quarter-finals against Germany marked the end of the adventure for three pillars of the French team, including the icon Nikola Karabatic. His brother Luka, four years his junior, has not put his sneakers away. But he has decided to go down a level, giving up the captain's armband after a tournament that he failed both collectively and individually, becoming a replacement, in the center of the defense, for Karl Konan.

At 36, the captain of Paris Saint-Germain did not see himself committing to a new Olympiad, the kickoff of which is this World Cup that he appreciates “to see from a different angle”. “It's also nice to experience him in this position: it allows you to take a little more perspective.” he explained on Wednesday.

Fabregas: “benevolent towards the group”

Even if his playing time has decreased, the pivot is still very useful within a very tight French defense. “It's true that perhaps his role has changed a little, but he's someone with a lot of experience, on whom we count and rely in match preparations, to agree on the defensive tactical options that we can take” explains Fabregas.

“He has this role as benevolent towards the group and always putting the French team above all else” adds the Catalan. Blues that he will want to accompany, on February 2 in Oslo, to a seventh world title. After which he could say goodbye to them, even if he assures that he has not made a decision.

The match will start at 6:00 p.m. this Thursday, January 23 and will be broadcast on the beIN Sports 1 channel.