Preview: 5 things about Kiel - Paris

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It's time for the EHF Champions League quarter-finals! Paris Saint-Germain Handball are now only 120 minutes away from the Final4 and Cologne. But to validate their ticket, Les Rouge et Bleu will have to face again the fearsome THW Kiel, with the first leg at the Wunderino Arena on Wednesday.

1 - THE RUNS

The Germans were part of a formidable Group B, which included Kielce and Barcelona. With 15 points, they finished fourth in the group and easily qualified for the last 16 and then death with Dinamo Bucharest in short order, with a cumulative score of 72-60. 

For their part, Les Rouge et Bleu skipped the last 16 - a privilege that they owe to their very good results obtained in the group stage. Raul Gonzalez's men finished at the top of Group A, four points ahead of second (Magdeburg, also directly qualified for the quarters) and six ahead of third place (Veszprém).

2 - KEY STATS

The Parisian defence will have be up against one of the competition's most prolific attacks, with 532 goals scored (Nantes are just ahead with 538, but were eliminated in the last 16). Despite having played two fewer games, the capital club are also doing well in this sector, with 492 goals scored (the best attack over 14 games). 

In the individual department, Kamil Syprzak is very comfortable in front of European goals, with 109 strikes in just 12 games. At the other end of the court, Jannick Green is also performing well, with 114 shots saved. His Kiel counterparts, Tomas Mrkva and Niklas Landin, have made 104 and 83 saves respectively. 

3 - REMAKE OF THE REMAKE

This is the third consecutive season that these two teams have faced each other at this stage of the competition. The first round went to the advantage of the Parisians, who had managed to come back from defeat in the first leg, thanks in particular to the return of fans to the Stade Pierre de Coubertin (63-59). Last year, our players failed at the doors of the Final4, losing out by just a single goal (62-63). 

4 - HEAD TO HEAD

The historical record is very close between Kiel and Paris. At the moment, our team leads by one win, with six wins, five losses and two draws. This new clash should live up to all its promise!

5 - TO FOLLOW THE MATCH

Kickoff: 20:45
Television: Eurosport
Social networks: Live-tweet

(Credits: J. Azouze/PSG)