Five things on Cesson - PSG Handball
On Wednesday afternoonParis Saint-Germain Handball travel to face Cesson-Rennes in their Lidl Starligue Round 28 clash at the Glaz Arena. The objective is simple: clinch a draw or better and claim the title of Champions of France!
1 - Just a single point!
Following Sunday's win over Saint-Raphaël (44-32), Les Rouge et Bleu are in a very good position to stitch up an eighth French league title! To do so, they will have get at least draw against the Brittany side. Raul Gonzalez's men could even lose and still be crowned champions - if Montpellier fail to beat Toulouse on Tuesday afternoon. Indeed, the Héraultais could then, at best, only go level on points with our team who, with wins in both league meetings against Montpellier this season, have the advantage on head-to-head goal difference (+7).
C'est terminé ! Paris égalise son record de buts marqués sur un match avec ces 44 réalisations et a besoin d'un seul point pour officialiser son 8ème titre de Champion de France ! #PSGSRVHB pic.twitter.com/9CGDxUifc6
— PSG Handball (@psghand) May 30, 2021
2 - Survival within reach
For their part, Cesson-Rennes are in a favourable position to secure their survival. Promoted at the end of the last season, Les Irreducibles are currently out of the red zone, with 18 points, four ahead of relegation-threatened Ivry. But the last ticket for the drop (the first one is for Tremblay, who with just seven points from 27 games are mathematically incapable of saving their skins) is yet to be awarded, and Cesson-Rennes, who have played more matches than their direct rivals, could still lose out. In fact, in the worst case scenario, they could find themselves only two points behind USI, with two games to go. On the other hand, after their big win away to Ivry (17-32), they will not be worried if they end up tied on points. They only need a single victory to secure their place in the French handball elite.
3 - Key stats
Although collectively their season has not necessarily been brilliant (16 defeats, six wins, six draws), Cesson can still rely on quality players. Among them is Joze Baznik. He is the third-most successful goalkeeper this year with 263 saves (32% success rate). Only Nikola Portner (271) and Mate Sunjic (290) are doing better. In attack, 27-year-old right-winger Youenn Cardinal stands out, having fired his way to eighth place on the scorers chart with 144 goals (including 12 against Chartres in October). Statistically, Nedim Remili (125 goals), Mikkel Hansen (121) and Vincent Gérard (213 saves) are the Parisians who stand out the most.
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4 - Head to head
The capital club took several seasons to get their first victory over Wednesday's opponent. Indeed, the first four direct confrontations ended in a draw and three defeats for Paris Saint-Germain Handball, but since they first bucked the trend with a big win in September 2012 (34-23), our team have put together a 15-match win streak over Cesson-Rennes. The latest win dates back to last October, at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin. Raul Gonzalez's men turned in a superb performance (39-21), with notably 19 saves from Vincent (48%), and seven goals from Mikky.
5 - To follow the game (throw-off at 19:00):
• Television: NHL TV
• Live tweet: our official page
(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)