On Saturday afternoon, Paris Saint-Germain Handball travel to Hungary for another high-octane European clash. Group B leader Les Rouge et Bleu will take on second-placed Szeged in the Velux EHF Champions League's Round 10.
Round of 16 beckons
Heading into round 9, Raul Gonzalez's men are in pole position in Velux EHF Champions League Group B. Following Szeged's 33-33 draw with Skjern in Round 8, the capital club now have even more breathing room - a three-point lead over the second-placed Hungarian side. A win on Saturday would see Paris take a serious option on top spot in the group - which would qualify them directly for the quarter-finals - while guaranteeing them of at least a place in the round of 16.
Sostaric-Banhidi: prolific duo
A big part of why Szeged are enjoying such an excellent run in Europe is their talent-packed squad. They have quality in every position, notably in the form of experienced figures Mirko Alilovic and Joan Canellas as well as an assortment of youngsters like Slovenian right-back Mario Sostaric (25 years old) and Hungarian pivot Bence Banhidi (23 years old), each of whom have 34 Velux EHF Champions League goals to their name this season. They have played a key role in their side's continental success, with Sostaric notably hammering Zaporozhye with an eight-goal haul.
A look back at the first match
The fact that players other than this prolific pair also troubled Les Rouge et Bleu in early November just goes to show how much depth there is in their squad. Right-back Zsolt Balogh (29 years old) shot four from four (as did Sostaric), while Richard Bodo turned in a powerful display. In the ned, after a lot of back and forth that saw Szeged lead for long stretches, it was the capital club who won out (33-31), thanks notably to a 7 from 7 from Sander Sagosen.
Our key stats
Group leaders with a three-point buffer, Paris Saint-Germain Handball are having an amazing run in the competition. They boast the fourth-best attack in the upper groups (250) but the most hermetic defence (208). Should they win on Saturday, Les Rouge et Bleu will break their own record for consecutive wins, which currently stands at nine. A draw would be enough for Paris Saint-Germain Handball to equal their longest Champions League unbeaten run of ten matches.
To follow match (Throw-off at 17:30)
• Television: beIN SPORTS Max 10
• Live tweet: our official page
Check out all the official Velux EHF Champions League highlights on EHF TV.
(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)