On the buzzer!

News

The context:
On Wednesday evening, Paris Saint-Germain Handball took part in their third consecutive Velux EHF Champions League match, travelling to Flensburg for their brought-forward Round 7 clash. With three points separating the two teams before throw-off (ten for Paris, seven for the Germans), everything was still possible in the race for first place. Be it mathematically or in terms of the play, the game was always set to be an exciting one!

The match:
Luka Karabatic opened the scoring with the first play of the match (1': 0-1), but the game still took a while to get going in earnest (7': 1-1). After the sides circled each other for a while, the elder of the Karabatic siblings, Nikola, hit his straps! In the space of a few moments, the French international scored four goals - from as many attempts - and allowed his team to make the break (12': 2-5). But while Les Rouge et Bleu seemed to have the upper hand (15': 4-8), they were not immune from a German fight-back (24': 11-12). Flensburg even managed to get back on level terms again, thanks to Magnus Röde and despite several saves from Vincent Gérard (26': 11-11). Les Rouge et Bleu got their noses back in front just before the break, Nedim Remili jinking through the home defence to carve out the narrowest of advantages (30': 13-14).

The second half started like the first: Parisian domination (38': 18-22). But even though the capital club had chances to increase their lead to five goals, they were still under the threat of another fight-back (42': 19-22). To slow down local enthusiasm, Paris relied on Vincent's prowess and the power of Mikkel Hansen (46': 22-24). However, despite these achievements, everything remained possible as the final minutes approached (50': 25-26). The last ten minutes were breathless! While our players did everything they could to bring back the two points (54': 27-28), the Germans did not give up (59': 29-29). In the final seconds, Mikki gave his team the advantage again, but there was still one last attack. On the buzzer, Röde tried his luck - but saw his attempt pawed clear by Vincent! Les Rouge et Bleu got the win (29-30)!

The Parisian of the match: Vincent Gérard
With a superb performance in goal, Vincent Gérard was one of the key figures in Paris' success. With seven saves, he allowed his side to maintain their lead for long minutes until a final, victorious and decisive save on the buzzer! Nikola Karabtic's excellent performance (6 from 8) is also worth noting.

The word: Leader
Awaiting Barcelona's trip to Aalborg on Sunday, Raul Gonzalez's men temporarily take control of Champions League Group A, two points clear of the Catalans. A poor performance by the Blaugranas in Denmark would allow Paris to remain in sole control of the group. Flensburg, who will travel to the French capital on 17 November, are now five points adrift.

In the viewfinder:
After this European journey, Les Rouge et Bleu will now to return to Lidl StarLigue action. On Saturday, they will catch up on their Round 8 trip to Aix (to be played mid-week). Then, at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin, they will welcome, on Thursday evening, Montpellier, in what promises to be the headline clash of the Lidl StarLigue's Round 9!

(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)