Brazil vs France: Brazil have better chances of winning

So far the French handball team has played at the Olympics only against Latin American teams: after defeating Argentina, they will face Brazil in their next match. This game will be much more difficult for the finalist of the last Olympic Games.

Brazil is constantly disputing the title of the best handball team in South America with Argentina. Now the team is in optimal condition, and in Tokyo 2021 it is ready to fight to advance from the group stage. Thiagus Petrus won last year's Champions League with Barcelona, and Rogerio Moraes won Europe's club trophy in 2017. Felipe Borges and Haniel Langaro are also in the spotlight in Europe. The team feels encouraged because they managed to bring all the stars to the lineup. There should also be no problems with teamwork because even without their three leaders, the team snatched the victory from the Spaniards at the World Cup.

However, the Brazil team lost in its last three games. After losing to Egypt and Germany in friendly matches, Marcus Oliveira's wards lost to the Norwegians in the first round of the Olympics with a score of  24-27. The Brazilians got off to a flying start and took a four-goal lead, but the gap shrank by halftime. The team played very actively in their defense, sometimes rearranging in an unusual scheme of 3-2-1. On offense, the team shot a lot from beyond the arc but made only 7 of 21 shots from 9 meters. Haniel Langaro was the most productive player for Brazil scoring 5 goals.

The French team was very close to winning medals in the last World Cup: in Egypt, they finished 4th. The team played well in defense, but the absence of  Nikola Karabatic in front made it difficult for the team to get closer to victory. The PSG midfielder still came to Tokyo despite barely recovering from a cruciate ligament injury. Now the French squad is almost in optimal form, and there are a lot of experienced handballers like Michael Guigou and Luc Abalo. This might be the last chance for the team to win medals at the Olympics.

In July, Guillaume Gille's team played four matches, in which they won three times. In friendly games, the French defeated Japan and Egypt but lost against Denmark. In the 1st round of the Olympics, they defeated the team of Argentina with a score of 33-27. On the offense, the French accomplished practically everything: passes on the edge, long-range shots, and held the line. Sometimes the team even fielded a 7th man instead of the goalie and improved their situation during the match. Overall, the team defended well, and that was the key to their success. The hero of the game was Melvyn Richardson, who hit 7 of 7 shots on goal.

The Brazilians are unlikely to surprise with their defensive formation in the upcoming match, but their opponent does not have much time to prepare. At the same time, the Latin Americans will reshuffle their lineup for sure: against Norway, they did not put out the first minutes of Rogério Morais and Leonardo Dutra, and some of them might be in the lineup at the beginning of the match. The French have suffered setbacks in recent top tournaments, and even the return of Karabatic is no guarantee for a victory. One of the best handball players in history has yet to find his form. In their last head-to-head encounter, Brazil came close to winning over the French, and now the chances are also there. I propose to bet on the following outcomes:

• Brazil to win for 14.5;
• Total under 60.5 for 1.75;
• Draw for 21.0.