The context:
On Sunday evening, Paris Saint-Germain Handball were out to confirm their leadership of Group VB as they played host to Zagreb at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin in Velux EHF Champions League Round 12 action... but they couldn't definitively clinch top spot as second-placed Szeged had beaten Zaporozhye 30-29 earlier in the day. So., the festivities had to wait, but there was still a match to play against a Zagreb side keen to collect all possible point to widen their three-point gap above the drop zone.
The match:
The early stages of the confrontation were tight, with Les Rouge et Bleu taking the lead (2’: 2-1) but not quite managing to break free (7’: 5-5). It wasn't until a triumphant counter-attack from Nikola Karabatic that the Parisians made the break (10’: 8-6), and over the minutes that followed, the lead continued to grow - thanks to Mikkel Hansen Mikkel Hansen (15’: 11-8) and Nedim Remili (16’: 12-8). Meanwhile, Thierry Omeyer was leading the defense masterfully and leaving precious few opportunities to the Croatians, who were forced to try their luck as the shot clock ticked down. At the same time, Uwe Gensheimer and his teammates stayed on target to take Paris' lead to the next level (22’: 16-10). At half-time, with Titi saving a penalty, Paris were still six goals to the good (19-13).
Our side lost none of their drive and determination during the half-time break and came out swinging in the second term! The lead quickly blew out to eight goals as Uwe hit a triple (34’: 22-14); the German was in sensational form and struck from each of his shots - be they from the penalty line or win the counter (41’: 26-18). His teammates duly followed suit, Nedim Remili capping a fine team move with an angled effort (49’: 29-22), the but the suspense remained as Zagreb started to claw their way back in the final minutes (55’: 29-26). But the pressure wasn't enough to put our lads off their game, and Adama Keita (58’: 31-27) and Nikola Karabatic both held their nerve to help Paris steady the ship and hold out for the win (33-28).
The Parisian in the match:
Uwe Gensheimer
All of Uwe Gensheimer's clinical finishing talent was on view against Zagreb. Our right-winger converted 90% of his shots on goal, with 8 strikes from 9 efforts. But over and above his efficiency, the style and variety of his scoring techniques saw him score from all areas of the court. Little surprise that he ended the match as top scorer, now with a season tally of 58 Velux EHF Champions League goals.
The word: Leader
Although Paris have been assured of a place in the knockout rounds for several weeks now, there remains a higher goal: topping Group B and qualifying directly for the quarter-finals. To do that, Raul Gonzalez's men need just one more point (from a possible four) to reach that objective. They could seal the deal as early as next weekend, when they travel to take on Celje.
Coming up:
On Wednesday, the capital club return to Lidl Starligue action, travelling to Toulouse for their Round 15 clash. Should they win, it will be an 11th consecutive victory in the competition for Thierry Omeyer and his teammates - and also their 28th in a row without defeat!
(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)