In Denmark, how Saint-Raphaël began to weave its qualification for the European League

In Denmark, nothing could really distract the Saint-Raphaël Var handball players as this first leg of the European League qualifier approached. Take, for example, their hotel in Hanstholm, about twenty minutes from Thisted, the venue for the match.

Aside from a lighthouse on the horizon, they didn't really have much reason to stray from their objective. The fishing port and its fishmongers, a few minutes' walk away—where two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard worked before becoming one of the best riders in the peloton—were not enough to tempt them to linger. The Raphaëlois weren't here for sightseeing, and understandably so. So, on the coach to Thy Hallen, everyone was ready to get going, even before the scheduled departure time.

Precision and impact

The first half quickly turned in favor of Benjamin Braux's men. They remained rather focused with a shooting accuracy of 77% (23 goals out of 30 shots), against a Mors-Thy team that was playful, but young and inexperienced at this level. The scoreboard gradually saw the visitors take an eight-point lead (13-21, ^28th ).

" We started really well and made an impact ," explains Miguel Neves. "I had the impression that they weren't pushing that hard, so we took advantage of that. The key was the way we started the match, the motivation ."

The gap is widening fast

A gap acquired without panicking, due to the distinguished performance of Alexandre Demaille (8 saves in the first 30 minutes, 13 in total). " We defended well which allowed me to make saves," analyzes the goalkeeper. "We knew how to impose our rhythm to maintain the gap. We wanted to control the end of the half and not waste the ball. We managed that well. We had been waiting for this moment for so long that we let loose. "

The room, a small cauldron, was located inside a large complex bringing together several handball courts, a swimming pool, a weight room, and even more surprisingly, a shooting range! The trigger was essential in a match where every goal could count at the end of the two matches. Despite a few easy shots missed at the start of the second half, Arthur Vigneron, author of two key interceptions and a goal on his wing in the process (17-28, ^39th ) put his team back in the right tempo.

In attack, the Danes wasted no time in building their attacks, and with their energy, their rear base found gaps in the SRVHB defense. But once again, without panicking, the Varois pulled away, exceeding a ten-goal lead. Even when Micke Brasseleur was taken to task by the Danish goalkeeper, Benjamin Braux called a timeout to relieve the pressure and regain some control.

In the end, everyone got their share of the cake in this match with a close score (32-45). The score was symbolically sealed by captain Johannes Marescot, who excelled with his partner Jonathan Mapu in their work in defense, making the backline shine.

"Stay focused" ahead of the return match

At the sound of the whistle, the gap was thirteen goals. A significant lead that allowed them to look forward to the group stage. The Raphaëlois seized every last crumb left by the players from North Jutland, forced to play without a goalkeeper in the offensive phases, to try to close the gap. " We know it's only halftime," the coach said. "We'll stay focused. "

The return match at home, Saturday, September 6 (8:30 p.m.) at the JFK Sports Palace will nevertheless be able to be approached with serenity.