Preview: 5 things about Dinamo Bucharest - Paris
On Thursday, Paris Saint-Germain take on Dinamo Bucharest in EHF Champions League Matchday 10. Here's a look at what you need to know about this final European clash of 2024.
1 - Form
Dinamo Bucharest and Paris have been in similar form since the return from the international break. Beaten successively by FĂŒchse Berlin (38-29) and Sporting (34-25), the Romanians will be determined to get back to winning ways in front of their home crowd and could fall behind if they do not. David Davis's men have been on a very different trend at home, however: Bucharest have lost just twice in all competitions at home this season.
The Les Rouge et Bleu face an added challenge, having lost their last two games in Lisbon (38-29) and Berlin (34-37). The Parisians now lie in third place in the standings, two points clear of their nearest chasers. The capital club therefore have no room for error and Raul Gonzalez's men will be determined to not to let second-placed Sporting get away from them - and perhaps even regain their runners-up spot if things go their way.
2 - A high-scoring group
Group A is loaded with goals! The four best attacks in the competition are all in the same group: Berlin (301), Sporting (299), Veszprém (293) and Paris Saint-Germain handball (288). Dinamo Bucharest are not far behind, in seventh place with 280. A total of 2,157 goals have been scored in this group since the start of the competition, compared with 2,122 in Group B. Individually, it comes as no surprise to find Kamil Syprzak in second place in the top scorers' standings (60 goals), level with Berlin's Mathias Gidsel and Szeged's Mario Sostaric (who has played one match more than his rivals).
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3 - HEAD TO HEAD
Thursday will see Les Rouge et Bleu take on Dinamo Bucharest for the sixth time in their history. With the first meeting having taken place in 2021, the duels between Paris and the Romanian outfit are all fairly recent. Having featured in the capital club's group in three of the last four seasons, Bucharest have never fared well against the capital club: Raul Gonzalez's men won all five of their meetings so far. In the first leg, at Coubertin in October, Paris superb performances from Elohim Prandi (9 goals), Kamil Syprzak (8 goals) and Ferran Solé (7 goals) to thank for the win in a thrilling encounter (35-32).
4 - Group A fixtures
Already assured of finishing 2024 at the top of Group A, Veszprém will be looking to consolidate their position at the top of the table when they travel to Fredericia, who are sit bottom after their defeat in Plock last week. For their part, the Poles have another crucial duel on their hands, this time against Pelister in Northern Macedonia. The two sides are neck-and-neck after nine rounds, and two points could prove crucial for the final play-off spot with only four games left to play in 2025. Finally, the Parisians will probably be paying particular attention to the clash between Berlin and Sporting on Thursday evening, a few hours after the clash between Bucharest and Les Rouge et Bleu. Having beaten the capital club last week, Berlin will be looking to close the three-point gap on the Portuguese side, who are currently second behind Veszprém and one point ahead of Paris.
5 - To follow the match
Throw-off: 18:45
Television: Eurosport
Social networks: live-tweet
(Credits: E. Renard/Team Pics/PSG)