Preview: 5 things about Paris - Nîmes

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Three days after the EHF Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain Handball are already getting back to Liqui Moly StarLigue action. For Round 18, they play host to Nîmes at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin in a fixture that often yields spectacular matches.

1 - THE TABLE

Les Rouge et Bleu are guaranteed to finish top in their EHF Champions League group - and are not far from the top of the league table either. They are co-leaders, but behind Montpellier due on head-to-head goal difference (-1), before the return match in April.

Meanwhile, for USAM, a loss could see them dip into the middle of the table. Currently in sixth place, they could be three points ahead of their nearest rivals, but also as many points behind the fifth-placed team. A win would, on the contrary, allow them to comfortably settle in the upper reaches of the table. 

2 - KEY STATS

After 17 games, Paris' attack is still the most prolific in the league, with 597 goals, thanks in particular to Elohim Prandi's 104 goals (who will be up against his former club). Kamil Syprzak (85) and Dainis Kristopans (83) have also been banging in the goals. The Green Team, meanwhile, have fired 531 goals and can count on the unstoppable Mohammad Sanad, who is one of the top three scorers in the league with 110 goals.

Defensively, the two teams' statistics are almost identical, with Nîmes and Paris having conceded 511 and 510 goals respectively. The capital club's Swedish goalkeeper Andreas Palicka has had an excellent season, with 149 shots saved, while his direct opponent, Alexandre Demaille, has stopped 115.

3 - A LOOK BACK AT THE FIRST MATCH

In the first meeting between the side this season, back in September, Raul Gonzalez's men travelled to the Parnasse in Nîmes. The match was tight for a long time (40': 20-20), until our players accelerated at the end of the game, conceding only eight goals in 20 minutes and taking two important points (28-33).

4 - HEAD TO EHAD

This was the 24th victory for Paris against Nîmes, out of the first 33 meetings (two draws and seven defeats). The last time Paris failed to beat USAM was in September 2018, after a match with a twist and four goals from Elohim, who was playing for the Green Team at the time. We also remember the 2021 clash, which saw Les Rouge et Bleu score their highest number of goals in a league match (47-27).

5 - TO FOLLOW THE MATCH

Throw-off: 17:00
At the Stade Pierre de Coubertin: notre billetterie
Television: beIN SPORTS 2
Social networks: Live-tweet

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