On Thursday night, Paris Saint-Germain Handball will be at a turning point in their European odyssey, playing host to Elverum in the second leg of their EHF Champions League last 16 tie, at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin.
THE FIRST MATCH
Last Wednesday, the two teams faced off in an exciting first leg. Either side could have won, as the end of the game was so tight. Finally, after a goal on the buzzer from Eric Johansson, the Norwegians put the count back to zero ahead of round two (30-30).
THE DUELS
As was the case in the first leg, we should see several interesting duels. Tobias Grondahl, the fourth-highest scorer in the competition with 77 goals, put in an excellent performance for his team by scoring 9 from 9. The Norwegian left-back is joined by another 100% performer from the first leg of the round of 16 - Luc Steins (6 from 6) . But the most prolific player of the match was Parisian: Kamil Syprzak, who managed to score from 12 of his 13 attempts.
THE SCENARIOS
After a draw, both Paris and Elverum will qualify for the quarters if they get a win on Thursday. In case of another tie - with fewer than 30 goals scored - Les Rouge et Bleu would qualify for the next round (otherwise they would be eliminated). Finally, if there is a perfect tie (ie if the match finishes 30-30), a penalty shootout will decide between the two teams.
On the buzzer, Eric Johansson ties it up for @ElverumHandball - a fitting end to the #ehfcl #MOTW! 😎 pic.twitter.com/J6Xxf9CQ3B
— EHF Champions League (@ehfcl) March 30, 2022
THE OTHER MATCHES
Montpellier are in the same situation as the Parisians, after their draw in Porto, last week (29-29). On the other hand, Veszprém, winner in Skopje (22-30), and Flensburg after their victory against Szeged (25-21), are in a favourable position to make it to the next round.
TO FOLLOW THE GAME (THROW-OFF AT 20:45):
- From the stands of Coubertin: by getting your tickets on our official websiteÂ
- Television: Eurosport 2
- Our social networks: via our live-tweet
(Credits: L. Valroff/TeamPics/PSG)