On Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain Handball travel to Le Parnasse in Nîmes to take on USAM in Liqui Moly StarLigue Round 15. We take a look ahead to this final match of 2023.
1 - THE TABLE
After an idyllic start to the season, with five wins in their opening five matches, Nîmes hit a roadblock and went on to lose the next five games in a row. It was a short spell in the doldrums for the Occitanians, who have returned to winning ways in recent weeks. With three victories in their last four matches, including one on their perilous trip to Saint-Raphaël (31-33) and a 34-27 win over Toulouse, Nîmes have regained their status as a team to watch out for - and Paris will have to be wary if they are to end the year on a high.
And what a high it would be, with 15 wins from their first 15 matches. Having beaten Saint-Raphaël on Saturday (38-45), the capital club took advantage of Nantes' slip-up against Pays d'Aix (37-41) and Montpellier's defeat by Toulouse (33-29) to extend their lead at the top of the Liqui Moly StarLigue standings. With their two main rivals facing off on Tuesday evening, Les Rouge et Bleu have a chance to strike hard before the winter break.
2 - AN IMPERMEABLE DEFENCE
Nîmes may have suffered a slump between October and November, but they still boast one of the best defences in the Liqui Moly StarLigue. With 399 goals conceded in the first 14 games, the from the south coast have only been outdone by Nantes (393) and Montpellier (395). Raul Gonzalez's men will have to redouble their efforts if they are to beat Jose Baznik, who has just been named in this week's Best 7 alongside Elohim.
The Slovenian international goalkeeper has been unstoppable this season. Quite simply, he is the most effective goalkeeper in the Liqui Moly StarLigue, among those who have played at least 50% of the side’s game time. With a 33.05% save rate, the 30-year-old is ahead of Andreas Palicka, who has a 32.99% record. Overall, no goalkeeper has done better than Jose Baznik - apart from Ivan Pesic. However, the Nantes 'keeper, who has been on fire with a 34.60% save rate, remains Viktor Hallgrimson's understudy at The H, and has spent almost three hours less on the pitch than his Nîmes counterpart.
3 - KAMIL SYPRZAK ON TOP
Les Rouge et Bleu have the best attacking record in the French league, thanks in no small part to the goals of Kamil Syprzak. The Polish international has been imperious since the start of the season, topping the scorers' charts with 99 goals this term. Against Saint-Raphaël, Kamil topped the 600-goal mark in his Liqui Moly StarLigue career. Kamil has also scored some exceptional goals, such as his splendid free-throw against Chambéry. Against Nîmes, Kamil should surpass the 100-goal mark this season, despite having been sidelined by injury for a short period.
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4 - HEAD TO HEAD
On Wednesday, the Parisians take on Nîmes for the 35th time in their history. It's a fixture that has gradually become a classic in the French championship, and one that has gone very much in Les Rouge et Bleu's favour. With a record of 25 wins, two draws and seven defeats, the capital club will be aiming for a tenth consecutive victory against Les Gardois.
5 - TO FOLLOW THE MATCH
Throw-off: 20:00
Television: BeIn Sports 3
Social networks: Live-tweet
(Credits: J. Azouze/PSG)