Preview: PSG Handball - Celje

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On Sunday afternoon, the Stade Pierre de Coubertin welcomes back European handball action as Velux EHF Champions League Round 2 action comes to town in the form of Paris Saint-Germain Handball's familiar foes Celje.

Opening defeat
The Slovenian side got off to a less-than-ideal start in Europe this season, falling to last season's surprise quarter-finalists Skjern. Despite leading at the break (13-12) and heading into the final minutes (47': 21-20), Branko Tamse's men hit a scoring slump that lasted five minutes and allowed the Danes to turn the match around (52': 21-24). Celje produced a late surge - driven by four goals from Rok Ovnicek - but the damage had been done (26-27).

 

Big names
This defeat doesn't mean that Celje are a side to be taken lightly. The club that trained the likes of former Kielce left-winger Blaz Janc is in fact chock full of talented players like right-back Gal Marguc (48 goals last season). Among their 23-man Velux EHF Champions League squad, ten players are 20 years old or younger and have already become key men. Branko Vujovic, 20, showed his value to the team with three goals against Skjern, for example, while confirmed talents like David Razgor and France international Igor Anic round out a formidable group.

 

Their 2017-2018 campaign
Last season, the Slovenians went close to clinching a place in the round of 16, a stage they have reached 14 times in their 24 appearances in the competition (in 2003-2004 they went onto claim victory in the final). They pulled off some big results, notably beating 2016 European Champions Kielce 31-27 at their home arena the Dvorana Zlatorog - thanks in no small part to the outstanding Marguc's 7 from 7, but in the end dropped points cost them dearly and they finished seventh, three points shy of the final qualifiers Meshkov Brest of Belarus.

 

The last few meetings
Despite failing to progress form the group stage, Celje gave the Rouge et Bleu a tough time of it in Group B last season. In October 2017, when they met at Coubertin in the first of their two group-stage clashes, it took Uwe Gensheimer's hitting a 7 from 7 to clinch the win (32-27). Then, in February, the Germany international did it again with another seven-goal haul (26-31). In 2015-2016, Nikola Karabatic and his teammates beat Celje twice (30-32; 32-27), and in fact the Parisians' only loss to the Slovenian side dates all the way back to 1997 and a 20-26 reverse in Asnières.

 

To follow the match (throw-off at 17:00)

(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)