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Paris run the show in Limoges

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Two weeks after their last official game Paris Saint-Germain Handball returned from the international break for their Round 25 Lidl Starligue clash in Limoges. The league leaders did battle with a side who have proven to be the revelations of the season despite falling hard times in recent weeks and slipping to seventh. The first time the sides met this season, Paris Saint-Germain Handball were comfortable winners (42-20), but the Salle Henri Normand is becoming known for producing upsets...

As was the case in October, the nets were shaking often in a prolific but balanced beginning to the game (4': 4-4). However, the Parisians, well led by Nedim Remili's powerful double, were the first to make the break (8': 5-7). Little by little, Les Rouge et Bleu's defensive sector got the measure of their opponents and, thanks to Dylan Nahi and Luc Steins, capitalised on the counter (10': 5-9). Mikkel Hansen confirmed the capital club's attacking form when he stepped up to the seven-metre line and scored his 400th penalty in the French handball elite!

The minutes passed and Paris continued to control matters, with Nedim producing magnificent schwenker to deceive the opposing defence, taking his team's lead to +5 (16': 9-14). Even when our attack struggle against the opposition back-line, the Parisians were never in danger on the scoreboard (23': 12-18). But the locals started to hit their straps in front of goal after being denied several times by Yann Genty. The rhythm was fast, and many goals were scored, but the gap remained (23': 13-18).

In the last minutes of the first act, Limoges took advantage of their numerical superiority and of several Parisian possession losses to make up a part of their deficit (26': 17-19). Raul Gonzalez then took two time-outs in the space of a few minutes in order to get his players back in the right direction. The instructions of the Spanish technician hit home perfectly and, after a last victorious attack concluded by Benoît Kounkoud, Paris headed into the half-time break three goals to the good.

The second half started as the first one had ended: with a goal from Benoit (32': 19-23). But, as was the case before the break, LH were finding their rhythm too and refused to be left behind (36': 21-24) and the match turned into a balanced contest between the two of the league's best attacks (38': 22-26). The sides duked it out blow for blow: as soon as one scored, the other one answered. But when one failed, the opponent could not manage to modify the gap.

At the beginning of the last 20 minutes, Les Rouge et Bleu stepped it up and went six goals clear through captain Luka Karabatic (41': 22-28). Thanks to their 5-1 defence, with Ben as an outfielder, our players left very little space to their opponent and pulled further ahead with more counter-attacks (45': 23-37). Their defensive work facilitated Vincent Gérard's job and helped the 'keeper to shine after he came off the bench. After a save from Vincent and a superb chabala from Nedim, the Parisians saw their lead climb to +10 (47': 24-34).

There was not much time left and Paris seemed to have done the necessary to have a relatively calm end to the game (51': 25-36). LH could not manage to catch our team out at all, but our lads continued to fire with laser focus at the other end of the court (54': 25-38). Right up to the final buzzer, our players continued to bring the pain for the home side (57': 28-41) and they ran out stylish winners (by scoring on 85% of their offensives, against 64% for Limoges). The win saw them maintain a lead of at least four points over nearest chasers Montpellier. The next appointment will be European, with a clash away to Kiel in the first leg of the EHF Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday night.

(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)