2-4: Prestigious victory over France to close 2024 on a positive note

Spain closed the year 2024 in the best possible way: with a prestigious victory against the mighty France to continue to add good feelings for League of Nations which starts in February and Swiss Euro Cup next summer, two high challenges. The purposes of Aitana Bonmatí, Claudia Pina, Lucía García and Mariona Caldentey imperial sanction, for purposes of Maria Mendez at your own door and Diana, They overcame a difficult 2-4 in Nice which, added to Friday’s resounding 5-0 against South Korea, allowed the world champions to recover their best version and once again become rivals to beat to forget the failure at the previous Olympic Games.

The Spanish team continues to clearly rebuild and the coach tries to find its best eleven. Tomé made four changes compared to the last match, with Ona Batlle, María Méndez, Olga Carmona and Lucía García coming in for Sheila García, Berta Pujadas, Leila Ouahabi and Amaiur Sarriegi.

The match was repeated in the Nations League final in February, where Spain won 2-0. In front, a French team with a new coach, after Laurent Bonadei came in for Renard, and throughout the reconstruction but with figures of the stature of Renard, Cascarino, Geyoro and Diani.

Spain began to press and after four minutes Renard saved the first after a defensive error by Casacarino when the ball was released ended up giving the ball to Claudia Pina, but when she wanted to connect with Lucía García in the area the local the captain appeared with hope. . After two minutes, Aitana Bonmatí was unforgiving: Pina found Mariona unmarked on the left line, stepped into the opposite area and served a great ball so that Aitana suddenly appeared to push the ball.

If Mariona decided to be the main character, Barça player Pina showed that his return to the national team was Tomé’s best achievement. La Roja dominated the ball but France looked for its chance and got it in the 14th minute with a quick offensive transition, where Diani found Mateo alone and put the ball to him on the edge of the small that place, but Dali couldn’t. finish

When the match became lively, Spain’s second came from Claudia Pina, in a great collective play in which Aitana helped Montcada to, from the edge of the area, beat Picaud from below.

The toughness of French women is remarkable. And the surprise came in the form of a goal when in an action by the locals, in their attempt to clear, María Méndez finished it in the goal of Nanclares. It’s a pity. Karchaoui was still level in the 40th minute when he finished off a Baltimore cross from the edge of the area and the ball went near the post.

After the break, La Roja continued to press and dominate. In the 52nd minute, Tere Abelleira dared with a shot from distance that forced the French goalkeeper to make a good effort into the top corner. And in the 61st minute, Lucía García scored the third goal to stop the suffering: Aitana played with Mariona, who filtered a great ball for Ona Batlle and gave the goal to Lucía García who only had to beat the Picaud.

Duel of titans that will bring us more excitement. France closed the gap again in the 72nd minute after an open pass from Dali to Malard, who hit Laia Codina as she tried to cut it out and fell to Diani willingly to push her into the goalmouth. The action was very questionable and required VAR intervention. 2-3 left everything open again.

In the 80th minute came the decisive game when the ball controlled by Patri Guijarro hit the hand of Dali. Mariona, undoubtedly the best in the match, did not miss from eleven meters. He guessed the captain’s intentions.

Geyoro was imperial in the 86th minute when he stopped a great dangerous play by the Spanish team and in the 96th minute Malard grabbed the goal with a header from gala that went just wide of the post. Spain endured the result in a high-tension final stretch to end with a brilliant and superb victory.