Preview: Szeged - PSG Handball

News

The end of the group phase of the Velux EHF Champions League is fast approaching and this 12th round of European action is sure to be one of the turning points for several teams in Group A. Among them, second-placed Paris Saint-Germain Handball will travel to third-placed Szeged in a match that will be crucial for the future of both teams.

Feels like a final
With three rounds remaining, the two sides are tied on 18 points. However, our players have a small advantage before going to Hungary: thanks to their victory in the first leg (see below) they have a better goal difference (+5). A draw or a win would allow them to have their fate in their own hands before their last two home games (against Elverum and Zagreb). If they lose by more than five goals, they will then have to win their final games and hope for a slip-up from Szeged in Flensburg or Barcelona. Securing second place is very important, as it will allow them to play any eventual quarter-final second leg at home.

Talent on all sides
Again this weekend, the Varosi Sportcsarnok will be hosting many talents. Szeged's arena is used to playing host to its stars, whose fame has spread beyond Eastern Europe. Among them is Spanish left-back Jorge Maqueda, who was crowned European Champion in January, and who has scored 40 goals in the competition so far. That is slightly less than the team's top scorer, Serbian right-winger Bogdan Radivojevic, who has 58 goals to his name. Also in the squad are former Veszprém goalkeepers Mirko Alilovic and Roland Mikler, and former Paris Saint-Germain Handball team-mate Luka Stepancic, who has 25 goals in ten European matches this season.

A look back at the first match
In the first match, at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin, all these talented players caused plenty of problems for the capital club, who struggled for a long time to make the break. Nikola Karabatic was one of the main architects of Paris' success, scoring eight goals. It took at least that to get rid of a Hungarian side led by Richard Bodo (five goals), Dean Bombac (four) and Bence Banhidi (three). With suspense still reigning as the final quarter-hour approached (43': 21-19), Raul Gonzalez's side hit the accelerator, scoring nine goals in just 17 minutes (30-25).

Key stats
Our front line has been warned: the Hungarian defence will not be easy to get the better of! Szeged's rearguard is the best in Groups A and B, with only 277 goals conceded. Among the top three teams in the top groups, they are among the last three teams to still be under the mark of 300 conceded goals (298 for Montpellier, 299 for Flensburg). It must be said that it is easier to shut yup shop where you have a pair of goalkeepers like Alilovic and Mikler! Fortunately, however, Les Rouge et Bleus' attacking line is one of the best in the competition, with 347 goals (Sander Sagosen is our top scorer with 42, followed by Mikkel Hansen with 38). Finally, Luka Karabatic only needs to score six times to reach the 200-goal mark in the Champions League. Benoît Kounkoud is just four short of the 100-goal mark.

To follow the game (kick-off at 17:00)
- Television: beIN SPORTS 3
- Live tweet: our official page

(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)