Season review: Key league encounters

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From the first round to the final match, Paris Saint-Germain Handball did not falter this season. The capital club wrote its name in history by becoming the first-ever club in the French league to end a season with a 100% win gate. Take is a look back at the most memorable matches of this record-setting season.

PSG HANDBALL - ISTRES (ROUND 1): 34-25

On 10 September, 2021, Paris Saint-Germain began its Liqui Moly StarLigue season by hosting Istres. From the outset, our players set themselves up for successful season and won in style. Individually, several of our players shone and finished the match at 100%: Kamil Syprzak (5 from 5), Adama Keita (4 from 4) and Luka Karabatic and Nedim Remili (3 from 3).  

PSG HANDBALL - CESSON RENNES (ROUND 4): 45-22

We were only at the beginning of the campaign but the Parisians were already in the lead. In Round 4, they sent a message to their opponents by having their most prolific match of the season - and the match with the most goals scored by a club in a single match in the entire Liqui Moly StarLigue season. Raul Gonzalez's players also shone at the other end of the court, with only 22 goals conceded (the lowest total for our team this season).

NÎMES - PSG HANDBALL (ROUND 5): 25-32

One week later, our team travelled to Nîmes' Parnasse for a clash between two teams duking it out for top spot. As expected, the match was evenly balanced, but one man allowed the Parisians to make the difference with 20 minutes to go: Vincent Gérard, who repelled 17 of the opponents' attempts - including five from the penalty line (six in total) - and thus beat his personal record in this area. Les Rouge et Bleus' win put them in sole control of the table. 

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MONTPELLIER - PSG HANDBALL (ROUND 7): 33-34

In a series of five consecutive trips, Les Rouge et Bleu headed to Montpellier for Round 7. These encounters are always intense and close and this one was no exception. Leading for the majority of the match, our players were caught in the final ten minutes. Montpellier even went ahead and the minutes were ticking away. But Mikkel Hansen's magic wrist was not enough. With only two seconds left to play, a final foul was whistled. Mikky then took the ball and sent a buzzer-beating missile into the top corner to continue Paris Saint-Germain Handball's perfect run.

NANTES - PSG HANDBALL (ROUND 14): 29-30

Here again, it was the two best teams in France facing off. The Parisians travelled to The H Arena to face their nearest rivals in the final league match of 2021. After trailing for 50 minutes, Paris woke up at the end of the match and took the lead at the best possible moment. A two-goal cushion at the end of the game was enough to stay a final fight-back from Nantes (who scored at the buzzer). Vincent and Benoît were the two driving forces of this success, with 15 saves and a 7 from 7 respectively.

PSG HANDBALL - NANTES (ROUND 20): 34-28

Round 2. This time, it was at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin that Paris faced The H. The return match was a little less tight than the previous one, with Paris confidently building a lead all match to end it with a six-goal advantage. As was the case in the first match a few months earlier, Vincent Gérard shone with 18 saves (39%).

CESSON-RENNES - PSG HANDBALL (ROUND 23): 23-30

In the previous round, against Aix (37-32), Paris has equalled their own record: that of the best-ever start to a championship season (22 wins). When they travelled to Cesson-Rennes, they were out set a new benchmark and did just that with a 23rd victory that saw the club's name etched that much deeper into the history of the Liqui Moly StarLigue.

PSG HANDBALL - MONTPELLIER (ROUND 25): 37-33

The stakes of the match were simple: If the Parisians won, they would be crowned Champions of France. The desire was too strong to let Montpellier spoil the party at Coubertin but the first 30 minutes are balanced and at the break, the two teams were on level pegging. But in the second, the Parisians ] outdistanced the MHB players for good. Paris cult notched a 25th victory in a row - which saw theme celebrate winning the Liqui Moly StarLigue title!

PSG HANDBALL - CRÉTEIL (ROUND 30): 38-33

On paper, it was a usual end-of-season match. Although it was a derby, both teams has beaten the drop, Paris were champions and Créteil no longer had any hopes of Europe. But in the end, this was perhaps the most important game of the season! The Parisians need a last victory in order to achieve the grand slam of 30 wins from 30 matches... a final victory to make history... and the Parisians duly took this match by the horns and won to put a lid on the perfect league season. Unheard of! Historic! 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

- Number of wins: 30 (60 points)
- Goals scored: 1103 (best attack and new league record)
- Goals conceded: 871 (seventh-best defence)
- Top scorer: Kamil Syprzak (149 goals)
- Best goalkeeper: Vincent Gérard (208 saves)
- Gardien le plus sollicité : Vincent Gérard (208 parades)

- Luc Steins (MVP and best centre-half) and Kamil Syprzak (best pivot) are named in the team of the season. Mikkel Hansen takes the title of most beautiful goal of the season - after his masterpiece in Montpellier.

(Credits: A. Gadoffre/TeamPics/PSG)