To kick off their pre-season in earnest, Les Rouge et Bleu took on Japanese side Zeekstar Tokyo on Tuesday. At the end of a hard-fought match, our players came out on top (31-29).
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On Tuesday evening (midday in France), Paris Saint-Germain Handball played its first match of the 2024-2025 pre-season programme. As was the case last season, Les Rouge et Bleu faced Tokyo outfit Zeekstar on their home court at Yoyogi National Stadium. And just like last season, it was to be expected that their opponents would give their all for a result.
The game got off to a very even start, with the home side making the most of their chances. In fact, they took the lead after a series of saves by their 'keeper that included three penalty stops. Fortunately, the Parisians had a customarily inspired Jannick Green in goal. At the other end of the court, Dani Baijens shone with his first touches as a Parisian, while Ferran Sole Sala brought his considerable skills to bear. This combination of defensive solidity and attacking efficiency, combined with a little more experience, enabled Raul Gonzalez's men to go into the break with a three-point lead (30': 13-10).
After the restart, the Parisians looked even more enterprising in front of the Japanese goal. One of the capital club's leading marksmen was the excellent Kamil Syprzak; the Polish international won several duels and helped his side to a five-goal lead. But little by little, Zeekstar reduced the deficit against a youthful Parisian line-up featuring no fewer than five players from the youth academy. But Paris Sant-Germain Handball managed to stay in front until the final buzzer and duly claimed victory in this first match of their pre-season programme (31-29). A second match will take place on Thursday (same time, same place) against the Japanese national team.
Reactions from Raul Gonzalez, David Balaguer and Gautier Loredon:
(Credits: J. Azouze/PSG)