Preview: Zagreb - PSG Handball

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On Saturday evening, Paris Saint-Germain Handball return to Velux EHF Champions League action, playing their first continental match of the season against heavyweights Zagreb in Croatia.

Back to Europe
Four months after their magnificent Velux EHF Champions League quarter-final second leg against Kielce (35-26), Les Rouge et Bleu are back on the European stage. The club is participating in its eighth Champions League campaign, having previously made it through to the Final4 three times, including a narrowly lost final against Vardar Skopje (23-24) in 2017. For their part, the Croats have twice lifted European handball's top club prize - in 1994 and 1996 - but have not reached the Final4 since 2000.

Strong league starts
Both sides have gotten off to solid starts in their respective domestic competitions. Raul Gonzalez's men took part in the Trophée des Champions, against Montpellier (34-27), but also in two Lidl StarLigue matches. After beating Istres in the season opener (25-35), they did it again on Wednesday evening against a very strong Nantes side (32-29), Mikkel Hansen strring with a nine-goal haul. As for Zagreb, despite their defeat last week in the SEHA League - away to Veszprém (36-28) - they had made an ideal start to the competition, with a victory over Serbian side Metaloplastika. They sit in 3rd place in their group.

Horvat the indestructible
Zaltko Horvat, who was in the Croatia, side's squad all the way back in the 2002-2003 edition of the competition, will be taking part in his 18th European season with his club. The 34-year-old right-winger is one of the most recognised scorers in the history of the competition, having notched 677 Champions League goals. Last season, he scored 85 more times, proving that he is still one of the main dangers of the Zagreb attack. With the Croatian national team, he has won four bronze medals (one at the Olympic Games, two at the European Championships and one at the World Cup). He has also made a habit of scoring prolifically against Paris (ten goals in the last double-header).

A look back at recent clashes
Last season, Les Rouge et Bleu turned in two very good performances against Zagreb. The first took place in Croatia on 29 September 2018, on Matchday 3, with our team winning in style thanks to eight goals from Luka Karabatic and a spin-shot from Mikkel Hansen, but also several crucial saves from Rodrigo Corrales (21-32). Last February, at Stade Pierre de Coubertin, the capital club once again prevailed (33-28), but this time it was Uwe Gensheimer who distinguished himself with an eight-goal haul. Back in 2016, Paris Saint-Germain Handball claimed a key victory over the Croatians that saw the capital club qualify for the Final4 for the first time in its history (a 60-52 aggregate win in the quarter-finals).

To follow the match (throw-off at 8pm)
- Television: beIN SPORTS 13
- Live tweet: our official page

(Credits: J. Azouze/PSG)