Preview: PSG Handball - Pontault
On Wednesday night, four days after their European victory in Zagreb (21-32), Paris Saint-Germain Handball return to French league action. In the Lidl StarLigue's Round 5, they face fellow Paris-area side Pontault-Combault, who have just joined French handball's top flight.
Promoted opposition
By finishing fourth in the regular season, Pontault earned a place in the play-offs. Theirs was a tough task in the semi-finals against Dijon, especially after a 25-25 draw at home in the first leg left the team from Seine-et-Marne on the back foot. However, at the end of a thrilling return leg, Aurélien Tchitombi scored the leveller that clinched qualification on away goals (26-26). In the following round, they went thourgh another suspense-filled scenario. In Alsace, their attack fired beautifully (31-31), meaning a home win - by any margin - in the return leg would be enough to see them reach their objective. But in the end, they didn't need the win, with Steve Marie-Joseph's leveller 20 seconds from time sending the PCHB into the Lidl StarLigue (25-25) - after drawing all four of their play-off matches!
A delicate start
However, the beginning of season 2018-2019 hasn't gone as well as the end of the previous campaign did. After four rounds, Chérif Hamani's club is the only one still in search of their first points of the season. Admittedly, their fixture list has been a difficult one so far, with the season opener coming against European champions Nantes (22-32). Next up was a derby away to Ivry, in which Pontault resisted for 45 minutes (46’: 19-17) before cracking in the closing minutes (29-22). In their next two matches, they faced opponents from the south coast - Nîmes (27-31) and then Saint-Raphaël (40-28). This run of poor result shas left them in 14th place on the Lidl StarLigue table, with the 12th-best attack (99 goals) and the leakiest defence (132 goals conceded).
A former Parisian in their ranks
The Yellow and Blues' squad includes a former Parisian: Ludwig Appolinaire. The 24-year-old playmaker came up through the Paris Saint-Germain Handball youth academy and played several matches with the senior team in season 2015-2016. The following summer, the man from French Guiana signed on with Pontault, where he has been faring rather well, with 118 goals in three seasons with his new club. This season, he is their top scorer with a 11 goals, five of which came in the match away to Nîmes. While this will be his first time returning to the Stade Pierre de Coubertin, he has already faced off against his boyhood club, in the Coupe de la Ligue last season (23-30).
Ludwig APPOLINAIRE (@psghand) s'engage pour 2 ans. Il est le 1er renfort du club pour la saison 2016-2017! #TeamPCHB pic.twitter.com/gNOVgdHH8h
— Pontault-Combault HB (@PCHBofficiel) 26 avril 2016
Our key stats
Ahead of the Lidl StarLigue's Round 5, the Rouge et Bleu are third with seven points from a possible eight. The only point they have dropped so far was left in Nîmes last week, when they were held to a 28-28 draw. Apart from that, Raul Gonzalez's men seem to be firing on all cylinders in both the league and the Velux EHF Champions League. In domestic duties, Paris Saint-Germain Handball boast the best attack (129 for an average of 32 per match) and the fourth-best defence (102 goals conceded). Our top scorer is Nedim Remili, whose 23 goals have him in eighth place on the league's scorers chart.
Nantes et Chambéry sont les 2 seules équipes encore invaincues de la ⚡️ Ligue des Stars ⚡️ saison 2018/2019 ! 💪
— Lidl Starligue (@LidlStarligue) 27 septembre 2018
📈 Découvrez le classement en détails 👉 https://t.co/Bg6cEEMk28 pic.twitter.com/XhqNa2zTi6
To follow the match (throw-off at 20:45)
- At the Stade Pierre de Coubertin: get your tickets on our official website
- Television: not broadcast
- Live tweet: our official page
(Credits: J. Azouze/PSG)