LIVE. France-Portugal: the Blues are held by the Portuguese in an offensive encounter

Prandi and the entire French team hit the Croatian wall head-on in the semi-finals, an expected reaction against Portugal. FFHandball – Iconsport

The French handball team is playing the match for third place in the 2025 World Cup, this Sunday, February 2 at 3 p.m. in Oslo in the Unity Arena against Portugal.

A match to follow live with commentary here:

4:21 p.m.

49e

Bolzinger makes another save but Prandi misses his pass in attack.

16:18.

48e

Costa (LA) is checked by Bolzinger. Minne puts France back in front at left back (27-26).

16:17.

47e

Costa (LA) commits a forced pass and Mem allows France to get back into the game (26-26). Portugal calls a time-out.

16h15.

46e

Briet is checked on a long shot but the Blues recover the ball. Nahi finally unblocks the Blues' counter from his wing (25-26).

16h14.

45e

Kounkoud is suspended for two minutes for a dangerous defense on the left winger. Areia converts the 7m throw, +2 for Portugal for the first time (24-26).

16h12.

44e

Alvarez is found at the pivot position and puts the Lusitanians back in front (24-25). Minne is also in failure at the shot, it's been 4 minutes since the Blues have scored.

16h11.

43e

Costa (AG) finds Bolzinger in his path. The blue goalkeeper responds to his counterpart. Fabregas is also in check at 6m… the Blues are in trouble.

16h08.

42e

Kounkoud finds Capdeville again from his right wing. Recovery of the Blues. Salvador takes two minutes of suspension for a tackle. Nahi is also in check at his wing, Capdevilla is on fire!

16h07.

41st

Costa (AD) takes his chance but misses the target. Unfortunately, Minne rushes and finds Capdeville. Costa (AD) catches up in front of Bolzinger (24-24).

16h06.

40th

Minne causes a penalty for a foul on Costa. Areia scores the 7m throw (23-23). Fabregas is found by Minne and does not tremble in front of Capdeville (24-23).

16h04.

39e

Mem manages to find the target in a complicated position (23-22). France takes the lead again!

16h02.

38e

Frade tries to score in the empty goal from the quick engagement but his shot goes over.

16h01.

37e

Complicated return for Remili who is sanctioned with a two-minute penalty for having caught Costa in the air. This same Costa (AD) scores in stride at 6m (21-22). Minne scores solo and equalizes (22-22).

3:58 p.m.

36e

Costa (AG) on a schwenker gets closer to Bolzinger and deceives him (20-21), it is the first time that Portugal is in front. Shifted to the left wing and deceives Capdeville on his first post (21-21).

15h58.

35e

Konan and Costa (AD) are penalized by the referees for a collision and both come off for two minutes. Remili entered finds Capdeville in his path.

15h56.

34e

Mem is well offset and finds an interval on the left to score (20-19). Costa (AD) takes flight at 9m and is too fast for Konan and Bolzinger (20-20).

15h55.

33e

Alvarez is again found in pivot and equalizes (19-19).

15h55.

32e

Silva scores the first goal of this second period (19-18). Mem loses the ball in attack.

15h54.

31e

A series of fouls and a save from Bolzinger on a 7m throw! What a comeback from the blue goalkeeper!

15h51.

30e

Portugal starts the second half. Bolzinger makes the first save on a 6m shot!

15:36.

Half-time: France 19 – 17 Portugal

Like in the warm-up match a month ago, the match between the two teams is offensive, with the defenses and goalkeepers absent from the debates. Nothing is done at the start of the second half.

15:35.

29th

Mem is blocked by the Portuguese goalkeeper. Costa is also on his rebound shot.

15h33.

28e

Minne makes a quick rise and deceives from close range (19-16). Costa (AR) scores behind (19-17). Timeout requested by France.

15h31.

27e

Prandi puts a praline in the Portuguese skylight (18-15). Malgahaes responds immediately (18-16).

15h31.

26e

Mem takes the external interval and comes from close range to beat the goalkeeper (17-14). Frade is found at the pivot position and scores from close range (17-15).

15h29.

25e

Bos is shifted to the right wing and his long shot hits the target again (16-13). Costa (AG) is checked by Desbonnet but the referee returns to a previous foul. Alvarez receives the ball in pivot and scores (16-14).

15h28.

24e

Portuguese loss of the ball and Minne misses his first shot on the counter by hitting the Portuguese goalkeeper. Costa (AG) finds space to come to 6m but misses his shot.

15h27.

23e

Costa (AG) comes to collect a new 7m throw. Portela faces Bolzinger and scores for the third time in the same place (15-13). Entry of Prandi and Mem. Bos tries a complicated pass to Fabregas and loses the ball.

15h26.

22e

Fabregas is found on the quick recovery and gives +3 to France for the first time in the match (15-12.

15h25.

21e

Long Portuguese attack which ends with a save from Desbonnet.

15h23.

20e

Alvarez recovers a miscued ball and scores from 6m (12-12). Fabregas moves perfectly into the area and Minne offers him the goal (13-12). Magalhaes loses the ball and Minne quickly comes back to finish (14-12).

15h21.

19e

Briet finds the top corner at the near post from 9m (12-11). Time-out requested by Portugal. Portuguese loss of the ball but bad pass from the Blues in the process.

3:20 p.m.

18e

Minne scores her 5th goal of the match and puts France back in front (11-10). Costa, left back, once again tortures the blue defense (11-11).

15h19.

17e

Costa finds space on the right to equalize again (10-10).

15h18.

16e

Costa doesn't hesitate and goes back, his shot in support and rebound goes in (9-9). Quick engagement scored by Nahi (10-9).

15h18.

15e

Costa's strong pass follows one from Minne on the rise of the ball.

15h16.

14e

Bad pass from Silva, Bos concludes the counter with a reverse shot that goes in with the post (9-8).

15h15.

13e

Refusal to play against Portugal, Costa in support finds Desbonnet's hand. Briet returns with his shoulder, forcing his way against the blue full-back.

15h14.

12e

Briet tries his luck from long distance but his central shot does not surprise the Portuguese goalkeeper.

15h13.

11e

Alvarez is found at the pivot position and deceives Desbonnet at 6m (8-8).

15h12.

10e

Nahi is shifted into a small mouse hole and finds an impossible angle to score (8-7).

15h11.

9e

New 7m throw for Portugal with a zone defense from Nahi. Portela continues (7-7).

15h10.

8e

Costa keeps Portugal in the game with another powerful shot (6-6). Briet is lucky, his shot is touched by the goalkeeper but still goes in (7-6).

15h09.

7e

Bos is shifted to a small angle on the right wing and his long corner shot goes in (6-5).

15h08.

6th

Refusal to play against Portugal after a good blue defense. Defense in the zone by Briet which provokes a 7m throw. Portela does not tremble in front of Desbonnet (5-5).

15h07.

5th

Alvarez tears himself away and comes to beat Desbonnet at the near post (4-4). Quick engagement of the Blues and Minne continues his festival (5-4).

15h06.

4e

Briet loses the ball in attack and Costa finds a space in the defense with the rapid rise (3-3). Minne carries the Blues in this start of the match with his 3rd goal already (4-3).

15h05.

3e

Desbonnet makes the save, Nahi finishes the counterattack (3-1). Silva concludes the quick engagement from close range (3-2).

15h04.

2e

Costa finds the solution at 9m, well helped by the counter which deflects and deceives Desbonnet (1-1). It is again Minne who arrives launched and shoots too quickly for the goalkeeper (2-1).

15h02.

1e

Refusal of play against the Blues but Minne finds a shot in support which deceives the Portuguese goalkeeper (1-0).

15h00.

0e

The French team kicks off this battle for the bronze medal.

14h55.

H – 5'

For this match, Guillaume Gille rotates his starting seven. Desbonnet keeps his place in goal as does Fabregas at pivot. Nahi and Bos will be on the wings. The backline will consist of Richardson, Minne and Briet. Konan will replace Richardson in defense.

2:45 p.m.

H – 15'

This bronze medal match would serve as a warm-up for the Norwegian arena before the final of this World Cup pitting the Croatians in redemption against the Danes on top of the world for six years now (triple winner of the reigning event: 2019, 2021, 2023) which will take place at 6 p.m., still in Oslo.

2:30 p.m.

H – 30'

The last confrontation between the two teams is very recent, it was in preparation for this World Cup and the Blues won in an offensive encounter (44-38). If in the history between the two nations France is largely ahead: 31 wins for 1 draw and 4 defeats, the recent record is much more balanced with since 2019 3 wins for each team. We will therefore have to be wary of the Lusitanians who have made great progress in recent years.

14h15.

H – 45'

The opponent of the Blues is a big surprise at the level of international handball. Portugal, present in major international competitions since 2020, invited itself for the first time to the semi-final of a World Cup. Undefeated in the preliminary round as well as in the main round (4 wins for one draw) with a fiery attack (35 goals on average per match), the Portuguese pushed the Germans, finalists of the last Olympics, into extra time in the quarter-finals and won narrowly (31-30).

2:00 p.m.

H – 60'

Following its defeat in the semi-final against a much more enterprising Croatia (28-31), the French team must remobilize to go for the bronze medal, which would be its 14th world medal. In the matches for third place at the World Cup, Les Bleus have won four times (1997, 2003, 2005, 2019) and lost twice (2007, 2021).