Les Rouge et Bleu win in style in Berlin

Comptes-rendus

On Thursday, Pairs Saint-Germain Handball beat Füchse Berlin at the end of a splendid battle at the Max-Schmeling Arena. Here's a look back at the Match Of The Week for EHF Champions League Matchday 6.

After consecutive home games against Fredericia (38-30) and Dinamo Bucharest (35-32), Paris Saint-Germain were back on the road in the Champions League. Another tough opponent stood in the way of Les Rouge et Bleu: Füchse Berlin at the Max-Schmeling Arena. With three consecutive wins on the continental stage under their belts, the Parisians would have to produce another serious performance if they were to topple the Berliners, who are formidable at home.

Buoyed by the home crowd and the return of Mathias Gidsel, the first goalscorer of the match, the home side started on the front foot and took the Parisians by surprise (3': 3-0). Raul Gonzalez took immediate action and decided to stop play in order to remobilise his men. The Spanish coach's tactical adjustments paid off immediately. Jannick Green made two saves in the space of a minute, while Luc Steins and Yahia Omar got Les Rouge et Bleu off to a flying start (4': 3-2). The Parisians were gaining momentum in all areas of the game. Buoyed by Jannick's fourth save of the game, the capital club proved formidable in front of goal and took the lead (9': 5-6). Despite the home crowd's support, Les Rouge et Bleu began to build momentum, as evidenced by Mathieu Grébille's superb lob (11': 7-8). At the end of the first quarter of an hour, the two sides were holding their heads high in a match that was living up to its promise (15': 10-10).

After falling behind again, Paris refused to give up and immediately pulled level thanks to Wallem Peleka and Luc Steins‘ fourth goal (19’: 13-13). The goals kept coming from both sides in a fast-paced first half, but it was the Parisians who showed the killer instinct to punish the Germans for every mistake and take control of the match (24': 16-17). The home side responded to the Parisian onslaught, however, and managed to reset the score by taking advantage of a numerical superiority. With Berlin back in front, Elohim Prandi stepped up to the plate and sent a powerful shot into the top corner to level the score on the buzzer. At the end of a particularly prolific first half, the two sides went into the locker room neck and neck (30': 20-20).

The match resumed with the same intensity as the first half. Yahia Omar, who has been in fine form since returning from injury, scored twice and maintained his perfect record, having converted all five of his attempts thus far (33': 22-23). Even at a numerical disadvantage, Paris kept up the pace and managed to make a break for the first time (39': 24-26). And it was no wonder: Jannick Green was imperious in the Berlin arena, taking his tally to ten saves. As the minutes ticked by, the home side looked increasingly sloppy, which notably benefited Yahia Omar, who scored another brace (42': 27-28). With the Parisians back in front by two goals, Jaron Siewert called a time-out. Les Rouge et Bleu gave their opponents no time to put their tactics in place, however, and got straight back on the ball to extend their lead (46': 29-32).

Despite the absence of their captain, Luka Karabatic, who received a red card (for three temporary expulsions) at the start of the final ten minutes, our Rouge et Bleus showed their fighting spirit to stay ahead (50': 32-33). With Elo‘’s seventh goal of the game, Paris went into the final minutes with a one-goal lead, but Berlin did not give up and once again stopped the game (56': 34-36). Our number 71 even scored a hat-trick, responding to each German attack with an unstoppable missile (58': 35-38). The capital club were relentless in attack and sealed their victory with a last-gasp save from Jannick, the Danish international's 12th of the evening - the perfect way to celebrate his recent contract extension until 2026! Laser-focused from start to finish, Raul Gonzalez's men struck a blow in this European campaign, disposing of Füchse Berlin (38-40) to record a fourth consecutive win on the continental stage.

Reactions from Raul Gonzalez, Luka Karabatic and Yahia Omar:

(Credits: L. Valroff/PSG)