Les Rouge et Bleu were looking to the championship to help them forget their defeat in Barcelona in the Champions League this week (38-33). In the Liqui Moly StarLigue, Stefan Madsen's men had won all their matches and sat at the top of the table. Ahead of the matches in Nantes and Montpellier, Paris had a chance to put pressure on their pursuers with a victory. To do so, they would have to get the job done in Tremblay, in what promised to be a spectacular derby against the league's fifth-placed team.
Tremblay try to implement their attractive style of play from the start of the game, but they come up against a man who is growing in strength in goal: Mikkel Lovkvist. The Danish goalkeeper made four saves in a matter of minutes, frustrating his opponents. Paris took advantage of this to bresk clear and pile pressure on their Paris-region neighbours (8': 1-5).
The good news of the evening was the return of Kamil Syprzak, who hit two early penalties. The capital club continued to stifle Tremblay, who were overwhelmed in the first quarter of an hour (15': 4-10). Cherif Hamani's players could take comfort in the fine performance of their goalkeeper Rubens Pierre (10 saves in the first half), but they struggled to regain their confidence.
Paris remained uncompromising, extending their lead with every passing minute at the Grand Paris Arena (23': 8-14). Playing with great focus and determination, Les Rouge et Bleu were well on their way to consolidating their position at the top of the table. Stefan Madsen could count on another player returning from injury, Jannick Green, who, shortly after coming on, saved a 7-metre throw from Matteo Fadhuile. Everything was going well for the capital club in the first half, with a comfortable lead to be built on after the break (30'e: 13-18).
The Parisians' objective after returning from the locker room was to prevent a Tremblay comeback, as the home side had regained their offensive verve. Fortunately, the visitors could still count on an inspired Lovkvist (13 saves in total) and Yahia Omar, who led the attack with six goals and six assists. Tremblay struggled against the Rouge et Bleu's strong defence, and their deficit seemed difficult to overcome as the final quarter of an hour approached (44': 18-25).
The challenge was to remain vigilant, as Tremblay were determined to pull off a stunning comeback in the final stages of the game. Nevertheless, the Parisians' spirit indomitable, with complete control at all times. Luc Steins, who had been lively and invaluable at both ends of the court, scored his fourth goal of the match to extend his side's lead (51: 22-31).
Highly focused, the capital club prevented their opponents from getting back into the game, duly securing their 13th victory in as many matches (60': 31-38). Les Rouge et Bleu this continue their incredible run in the Liqui Moly StarLigue, putting pressure on nearest pursuers Nantes and Montpellier, obliged to win to stay in touch. Excellent news ahead of December's final fixtures!
The Parisians will return to Coubertin for two important matches, and they will need all your support. There's a Coupe de France round of 16 match against Cesson-Rennes on 10 December (20:00), followed by a league match against Limoges on 14 December (14:30). Then it's time for a monster clash, away to perennial rivals Nantes on 18 December.
