The run continues in Limoges

Match reports

After taking back sole control of the table against Montpellier, Paris Saint-Germain Handball aimed to continue their march forward on Friday evening, on the occasion of the Liqui Moly StarLigue's Round 26. To do so, they had to overcome a Limoges team that is difficult to handle, especially in its Palais des Sports de Beaublanc, where some of the best teams have been beaten. Before the match, Henrik Toft Hansen reminded us that no match is easy in handball and even less in this league.

Thanks to several saves by Jannick Green, Les Rouge et Bleu were the first to take off (6': 1-4). The Danish international, well helped by a defence in fine fettle, won most of his duels, often with some style. At the other end of the court, the home team's backline was often pushed to the foul by our forwards, who obtained several 7m throws (9': 1-6). Solid in all sectors, the capital club widened the gap (16': 4-10). 

The minutes pass and Limoges still could not find many solutions in front of the Green wall (20': 6-13). The defensive performance of the Parisians was quite remarkable. They hindered their opponents considerably by forcing the shot, which regularly ended in failure. Our team led serenely and deservedly as the break approached (24': 8-17). Just before the half-tome buzzer, and after a well-controlled first act, Paris further improved their lead.

At the return from the locker room, Limoges conjured a reaction, but our players maintained control of the match (36': 15-24). Despite a significant gap (40': 17-27), the fans continued to chant and cheer in support of their hometown heroes. The atmosphere was electric and it seemed that a turnaround might still be possible for Limoges. But Les Rouge et Bleu are used to facing fearsome home fans and thanks to their experience, they resisted the pressure and moved to +10 (46': 20-30). 

At the beginning of the last ten minutes, Limoges made up some of their deficit (51': 27-32). But after Raul Gonzalez's quick time-out, his team went forward again and was in a very favourable position (56': 27-36). Paris Saint-Germain Handball managed the last moments perfectly and won thanks to a very serious performance. A success that allows them to remain alone in the lead of the championship- a good omen before the return of the EHF Champions League and the quarter-final first leg in Kiel on Wednesday.

REACTIONS FROM RAUL GONZALEZ, JANNICK GREEN AND DOMINIK MATHÉ:

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