The Parisians fall to Kiel

Match reports

Paris Saint-Germain Handball lost to Kiel 28-34 on EHF Champions League Matchday 6, the result coming down to tiny details. Take a look back at the match...

On Thursday, Les Rouge et Bleu played host to Kiel on EHF Champions League Matchday 6. It was a top-of-the-table clash between two teams with identical records in the season thus far, who occupied the top two spots in the group (which qualify directly for the quarter-finals). The Parisians were looking for a third consecutive win in the competition, while the Germans were out for revenge after their 34-30 defeat by Kolstad on the previous matchday.

In a particularly tight opening to the match, our defensively solid players were clinical in front of goal and took the lead (7': 2-1). Driven on by a boiling Stade Pierre de Coubertin, the capital club showed their character to make the first break of the match (9': 4-2). At the end of a lively first quarter of an hour in which the two teams had gone blow for blow, Les Rouge et Bleu were still in the lead (15': 6-5).

As the end of the first half approached, the Germans managed to close the gap on the scoreboard, promising an intense final few minutes (25': 9-9). With just a handful of seconds left to play, Raul Gonzalez decided to use his second time-out of the match. It was a decision that paid off, as the Parisians took the lead just before the buzzer thanks to Kamil Syprzak, who bagged a sixth goal. The men from Paris thus took a one-goal lead in this fast-paced match (30': 14-13).

Struggling at the start of the second half, Paris had Elohim Prandi to thanks for pulling them back into it with a powerful equaliser that flew into the top corner of the German net (35': 17-17). Although the Germans showed a disconcerting cutting edge in front of goal, Les Rouge et Bleu had David Balaguer's quick-fire hat-trick to thanks for a reset of the scoreline (42': 22-22). Prandi immediately repeated the feat, giving the capital club a one-goal lead going into the final 15 minutes (45': 25-23).

As money-time approached, the Zebras regained the lead (50': 27-28). One thing was certain: this match would come down to the details, as many had been expecting. Fending off all Parisian attacks, the visitors took advantage of temporarily being a man up to take the lead (55': 27-31). Despite battling to the very end, the capital club were unable to close the gap and lost out to Kiel (60': 28-34). Raul Gonzalez's men will be keen to bounce back on 15 November when they travel to Norway to take on Kolstad on EHF Champions League Matchday 7.

(Credits: L. Valroff/Team Pics/PSG)