Preview: PSG Handball - Celje

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On Sunday afternoon, the Stade Pierre de Coubertin will once again play host to European handball action! As Velux EHF Champions League Matchday 4 action gets under way, Paris Saint-Germain Handball, who have won their first three matches of the campaign in Group A, play host to still-pointless Celje.

Divergent fortunes
After three matches, the two teams find themselves at opposite ends of the table. Following a flawless run of wins over Zagreb (28-34), Szeged (30-25) and Elverum (22-25), Les Rouge et Bleu share top spot with Flensburg (who have had a one-point lead since Wednesday thanks to their victory in a brought-forward clash with Zagreb) and Aalborg. On the other hand, the Slovenians of Celje are one of the three teams in the group yet to their accounts for the season (along with Elverum and Zagreb). However, they came close to taking a point as they fell narrowly to Flensburg (24-25) and Aalborg (28-29), but were well beaten in Barcelona (45-21).

A young squad
As is often the case, Celje have hit the European stage with a very young squad - of the 24 registered players, only three have are in their thirties. The oldest player in this group is none other than goalkeeper Klemen Ferlin, who will be coming to Coubertin at the age of 30 years and 110 days. The average age in the team is 20 years old, but some of their stars are yet to reach their third decade. Croatian left-back Josip Sarac (21) is his side's top scorer with 13 goals - a total that has him well on his way to beating his personal best of 21 goals in a European campaign, a record set last season. The club has a reputation for fostering young talents, with notable alumni including the renowned Blaz Janc, who came through the ranks with the Blue and Yellows before moving to Kielce.

A look back at recent matches
Last season, both teams were in the same group, with Les Rouge et Bleu winning home and away. First in Coubertin, on Matchday 2 (33-21), with seven goals from Mikkel Hansen, six from Sander Sagosen and 17 saves from Rodrigo Corrales. The away game, however, was a little more complicated for Raul Gonzalez's men. Against their former team-mate, William Accambray (five goals), who had arrived in Slovenia on loan a few months earlier, the Parisians, already assured of finishing at the top of the pool, had to fight long and hard. But, thanks to an excellent performance by Luc Abalo (8 from 9), they merged victorious (32-36).

Our key stats
With six points from a possible six, Paris Saint-Germain Handball are looking good in this group stage. They have a goal difference of +16, with 92 goals scored and only 76 conceded (third best attack and best defence in the group). The back-line contains the side's the most prolific scorers: Nikola Karabatic (15), Nedim Remili (13) and Kim Ekdahl du Rietz (12). It should also be noted that, by avoiding defeat, the capital club can set a new French record for an unbeaten home run (51). Celje, on the other hand, have zero points, but with a better goal difference than Zagreb, which are also yet to register a point, with 73 goals scored and 99 conceded.

To follow the match (kick-off at 17:00)
- Television: beIN SPORTS 1
- At the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium: get your tickets on our official website
- Live tweet: our official page

(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)