Preview: 5 things about Paris - Dinamo Bucharest

News

On Thursday evening, Paris Saint-Germain Handball have a great chance to strike a blow in EHF Champions League Group A as they play host to Dinamo Bucharest at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin.

1 - THE TABLE

Thanks to their victory against Zagreb (30-33), combined with Veszprém's defeat against GOG (36-37), Les Rouge et Bleu have taken the lead in Group A. If they win over Bucharest and Magdeburg fail to win against the Hungarians, Paris will be sure to finish in the top two at the end of Matchday 12. As a reminder, the top two places qualify directly for the quarter-finals.

The stakes are not quite the same for the Romanians. But if they win, they could also take a big step towards their goals. Indeed, a victory at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin would open the way to the last 16. 

2 - KEY STATS

Kamil Syprzak, who has been absent since the end of 2022, will not be able to defend his position as the third-highest scorer in the competition (71 goals in ten appearances). However, the capital club will be able to rely on Elohim Prandi, who has been particularly impressive in the attacking sector with 54 goals. Defensively, they will have to be wary of Ukrainian right-winger Andrii Akimenko, Dinamo's top scorer with 60 goals. Overall, Paris and Bucharest have scored 390 and 327 respectively since the start of the season.

At the other end of the court, Jannick Green is still going strong in goals, with 84 shots saved, while Dinamo keeper Khalifa Ghedbane has racked up 51 saves. The Romanians also have one of the best defensive records in the competition, conceding only 335 goals (compared to 352 for the Parisians).

3 - A LOOK BACK AT THE FIRST MATCH

At the end of October, Les Rouge et Bleu travelled to the Sala Polivalenta in Bucharest. They controlled the match well and were six goals clear at the break (30': 16-22); the trend was confirmed in the second half (29-36). It was the third victory in as many games in this fixture, after the two initial successes last season.

4 - SEASON TICKET HOLDERS WEEK 

This is the launch of the Season Ticket Holders week, which will include the next two matches at Coubertin (Bucharest and Nîmes)! After the match against Dinamo Bucharest, ten subscribers will take part in an autograph session with all the Paris Saint-Germain Handball players. For more information, click below.

5 - TO FOLLOW THE MATCH

Throw-off: 20:45
At Stade Pierre de Coubertin: sold out
Television: Eurosport 
Social networks: Live-tweet

(Credits: L. Valroff/Team Pics/PSG)