And two! After their victory against Portugal on Friday, the Blue won in Austria on Tuesday (1-0) to consolidate their first group place in the Nations League, even if they did not completely convince.
“In the absence of being brilliant you have to be efficient, so we will say in summary that we were effective”: the summary is from Hervé Renard, a coach satisfied with the result, if not the manner, in a match which could have turned into a draw.
Of course, it is not yet forgotten, the elimination in the quarter-final of the World Cup against Australia (0-0, 7-6 tab), on August 12, but the Blue are moving forward.
The style was certainly not there in Vienna this Tuesday, but the essential is there: some 300 days before the Paris Olympic Games, the Blue took six points in two matches in this first edition of the Women’s Nations League.
They are the only ones to have six points, Portugal is second with three points after dominating Norway (3-2) on Tuesday evening. Already qualified for the Olympics as host, the France team started the match relaxed and quickly opened the scoring through its captain Wendie Renard.
Lyon goal
In the 5th minute, on an eccentric free kick on the right side and perfectly taken by Salma Bacha at the penalty spot, the tall French defender freed herself from her marking to simply deflect the ball. Enough to deceive the goalkeeper, surprised and at fault at the time (5th). A 100% Lyon goal: PSG, which hosts OL on Sunday evening, has been warned.
We could then have thought of a demonstration, against an Austrian team which was not present in Oceania for the World Cup. But the Austrians, who have just held the Norwegians in check (1-1) on their home field, held off the shock.
Norway to come
Just before half-time, also on an eccentric free kick, it was the bar which saved France on a recovery from Celina Degen, alone at the far post. At the end of the match, another scare came from a free kick again very well struck by Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Barbara Dunst (85th).
“It wasn’t easy, we came under pressure from the opponent, an Austrian team which is progressing, we didn’t do everything well but we brought home three points and that’s the most important thing,” breathed Hervé Renard at the microphone of France 4.
Renard has once again started goalkeeper Constance Picaud, preferred to Pauline Peyraud-Magnin. The PSG player did not concede a goal, but she did not make a decisive save either. For that we will perhaps have to wait for the double confrontation against Norway, on October 27 away then on the 31 in France.