Preview: 5 things about Paris - Ivry

Avant-match

On Sunday, Paris return to the Stade Pierre de Coubertin for an Ile-de-France regional derby against Ivry. We take a closer look at this Liqui Moly StarLigue Round 22 fixture.

1 - FORM

Les Rouge et Bleu have stepped up a gear in recent weeks! Still unbeaten in the Liqui Moly StarLigue, Paris recently booked their place in the Coupe de France final with a 32-35 win over Montpellier. This week, Raul Gonzalez's men continued their fine form with a 26-30 win over Wisla Plock in the first leg of the EHF Champions League Round of 16. With a comfortable lead in the league, the capital club will be keen to bolster their confidence against Ivry after three weeks without playing in front of their home crowd at Coubertin.

Having struggled since the start of the season, Ivry were the big winners in Liqui Moly StarLigue Round 21. By dominating Dijon (33-23), Les Rouge et Noir extended their lead over the relegation zone to five points. Didier Dinart's men will be looking to maintain that form against the capital club.

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2 - IVRY: UPS AND DOWNS

Ivry's season so far has been far from smooth sailing. Not only have they lost the third-most balls in the league this season (155), but they also have the most interceptions (99), just ahead of Paris. In terms of individual talent, les Rouge et Noir can regularly rely on the talents of David Bernard who, with four goals and seven assists to his name, is one of the most goal-involved goalkeepers in the Liqui Moly StarLigue this season. The French 'keeper is regularly at the heart of lightning counter-attacks, making him one of Ivry's major assets. Offensively, the side from the Paris region will also be relying on the good form of Antonin Mohamed, who fired at a 100% clip last week against Dijon (eight goals).

3 - THE RISE OF KAMIL SYPRZAK AND ELOHIM PRANDI

The Parisians' fine form in recent weeks has been due in part to the effectiveness of their team. Les Rouge et Bleu have relied heavily on Luc Steins to supply Kamil and Elohim, who continue to be in superb form. The Polish pivot is the league's undisputed top scorer, having recently broken his record for most goals in a single match (13) on two consecutive occasions, and was once again decisive in the Champions League this week, scoring eight goals from as many attempts against Wisla Plock. A performance emulated by Elohim Prandi, which earned these two Rouge et Bleu a place in the EHF Champions League Team of the Week.

4 - HEAD TO HEAD

A true classic of the French championship between two of the elite's most successful sides, Paris-Ivry is a battle that has been fought 32 times in their history. Over the seasons, the capital club have outscored their rivals, winning 26 times and losing just four. Les Rouge et Bleu could make it 19 wins in a row against their regional counterparts this Sunday. In the first half of the season, Raul Gonzalez's men won thanks to a splendid performance from Nikola Karabatic, who scored six goals and provided five assists.

5 -TO FOLLOW THE MATCH

Kick-off: 17:00

Television: beIN SPORTS 3

Social networks:ย Live-tweet

(Credits: J. Azouze/PSG)