EN.PSG.FR

Flensbourg - PSG Handball : l’avant-match

News

Four days after playing host to Flensburg at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin, Paris Saint-Germain Handball travel to face the German side on their own turf in a match that promises to be another breathless encounter.

An epic first meeting
On Saturday, the two sides faced off in a thoroughly entertaining clash. Despite trailing for long stretches (45': 20-24), Les Rouge et Bleu mounted a wonderful comeback in the dying moments of the match. After Paris had taken the lead with just minutes left, Uwe Gensheimer (8 from 8) handed his side the win with a last-gasp strike from a tight angle (29-28). It was no less than Raul Gonzalez's men deserved after a formidable attacking display in the second half that saw them score with 80% of their shots on goal (77%) in the first half. Doubtless they will need to do at least as well on Wednesday.

Simon Jeppsson, the monster
Quite a few Flensburgers posed our defence some serious problems, notably German international Holger Glandorf (3 from 4) and Norwegian playmaker Goeran Johannessen (5 from 8). But the real danger man was none other than Simon Jeppsson. The 203 cm, 104 kg colossus hit no fewer than nine goals (from 14 shots), earning the left-back berth in the Velux EHF Champions League Best 7 for Round 7. The Swede has bagged 21 goals so far this season.

The state of play
Paris' win confirmed their table-topping status in Group B - and logically so, as our side have won every one of their matches in a flawless start to their European campaign. Should they win again on Wednesday, and should Celje lose, Les Rouge et Bleu would be all but officially qualified, with a 12-point lead over the Slovenians with six matches left to play. Meanwhile, despite their excellent performance in Paris, Flensburg are not yet clear of the drop, which looms just two points behind them.

Our key stats
Heading into this Round 8 clash, all the stats are in favour of Paris Saint-Germain Handball. On top of their ranking and their having taken 14 points from a possible 14, the Parisians are excelling in both attack and defence. Nedim Remili (37 goals) is doing a fine job of leading the front line, which is the third-best in the upper groups with 223 goals scored. Only Barcelona (234) and Rhein-Neckar Löwen (229) have done better so far. In defence, thanks in no small part to some fine performances from Thierry Omeyer and Rodrigo Corrales, our side boasts the second-best defensive record in the upper groups (188), just behind Vardar Skopje (185).

To follow the match (throw-off at 18:45)

Check out all the Velux EHF Champions League videos on the official EHF TV site.

(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)