After two months of competition, the Paris Saint-Germain handball reserve team is impressing, fighting it out in the upper eaches of the table alongside much more experienced squads. Here's a look back at our youth academy stars' sparkling start to the season.
An imperious start to the campaign
In recent seasons, the capital club's youth academy has once again proven to be one of the most effective in France. For the current season, Raul Gonzalez can rely on three players from his youth teams (Léo Plantin, Wallem Peleka and Gautier Loredon). There have also been cameos from a number of other Titis, including Noa Narcisse, Stanis Soullier and Théo Ducap. These three players, like all their National 1 team-mates, are a credit to the red and blue.
After eight matchdays, Les Rouge et Bleu are in second place in the standings behind Mulhouse/Rixheim, who are one point ahead. Thierry Perreux's men have made a meteoric rise to prominence, capped by a perfect performance against the league leaders last time out (22-38). The win came courtesy of six goals from Noa Narcisse and Théo Ducap, as well as ten from Victor Crenn. The Parisian right-back is off to a splendid start to the season, with 47 goals to his name already, and now sits fifth on the scorers chart. The capital club boasts by far the best attacking force in the division (277 goals scored).
Parisians - cool-head, team-spirited
It's not just in attack that the capital club has made a name for itself early in the season. On the very first matchday, Stanis Soullier set the tone with a 15-save turn to help propel his side to victory over Lanester (46-35). Although the young Parisians' defending was sometime found wanting, Stanis has consistnely stepped up early the campaign. With 58 saves in the first eight games, he has only been out-done by four of his divisional counterparts.
Another key player in Thierry Perreux's squad is Thomas Omeyer, who is coming in hot at the start of the season. Top scorer for Les Rouge et Bleu in five of their opening eight games, the left-back is proving to be one of his coach's many assets. Unstoppable in important moments and tight games, Titi is right on Victor Crenn's heels in the goalscoring standings, scoring just two fewer goals than his compatriot (45 goals).
Paris Saint-Germain reserve team results
Matchday 1 - Paris 46-35 Lanester
Matchday 2 - AC Boulogne-Billancourt 34-33 Paris
Matchday 3 - Paris 36-32 Cercle Sportif Vesulien Haute Saône
Matchday 4 - Saintes 39-33 Paris
Matchday 5 - Paris 29-24 US Dreux Vernouillet
Matchday 6 - Draguignan 28-28 Paris
Matchday 7 - Paris 34-33 Saran
Matchday 8 - ASPTT Mulhouse / Rixheim 22-38 Paris
(Credits: L.Valroff/PSG)