The Preview: Paris - Celje
Handball•
Paris Saint-Germain will play host to RK Celje in their EHF Champions League Matchday 3 clash on Wednesday 7 October 2026. Find out everything you need to know about this upcoming European clash.
It may only be Matchday 3, but the outcome of Group C is already on the line! For Paris, the objective is clear: to win in front of their home crowd in order, firstly, to provisionally take top spot pending Aalborg’s trip to Zagreb on Thursday and, secondly, to establish a virtually definitive lead over their opponents on the night. Still searching for their first point in the Champions League this season, Celje could already see their slim hopes of qualifying for the main round vanish should they suffer further defeats. If Paris and Aalborg were to win, the Slovenians would trail the top two by five points.
With only six points up for grabs in the second half of the group stage, Klemen Luzar’s men would then need to pull off two massive upsets against the capital club and the Danes in the coming weeks. Although this young side is primarily here to learn and develop its pool of young players, there is no doubt that they will be looking to cause an upset against our Parisians after coming close to pulling off a stunning result against Zagreb (31–29). To do so, Celje can count on several strengths...
Despite sitting bottom of the table after two matchdays, Celje remain an unpredictable side that must be treated with caution. Like GOG, the Slovenians rely on their youth. With an average age of 23, it is a carefree spirit and determination to prove themselves that characterises this group. However, to guide the many talented players in the squad, coach Klemen Luzar can count on two legends of Slovenian handball.
Alongside Ziga Mlakar, who is embarking on his 17th season at the club, there is also right-winger Gasper Marguc – who also came through the club’s youth system – making his grand return after 12 years at Veszprém. Both aged 36, the Slovenian internationals’ main role is to mentor the young players developing across all positions.
To make up for the injury to veteran Gasper Marguc on the right wing, the young Ziga Grabar (18) is making an increasingly significant impact, while others are also starting to make their mark in the first team. This is particularly true of right-back Mai Marguc (aged 20), last year’s second-highest scorer at the U19 World Cup with 65 goals in seven matches, as well as right winger Ziga Grabar (aged 18) and centre-half Lucijan Korosec (aged 22). However, there is another rising star who is stealing the limelight from the young Slovenian in this position.
Few names have attracted as much attention as Aljus Anzic in recent months. Oli Mittun, may have been lighting up the Champions League with his talent while playing for GOG since last season but, three years Mittun's junior, Anzic is racking up the points just as impressively, if not more so. Significantly outclassing his peers in the Slovenian national team, the young left-back had the privilege of taking part in the 2025 IHF Men's Junior World Championship in Poland. Not content with simply taking part, he climbed to third place in the tournament’s top scorers’ standings (61 goals), despite facing players who were at least four years his senior.
Far from resting on his laurels, the Celje-born player took part in the IHF Men's U19 World Championship just two months later and smashed his recent record by finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 67 goals in seven matches – two more than club-mate Mai Marguc. This included a stellar 23-goal turn against Norway, played at left-back, which helped earn him a place in the tournament's all-star team in this position.
The tournament top scorer in the EHF European Cup last season (62 goals), Anzic is certainly not one to shy away from a challenge. Having scored 11 goals in his first-ever Champions League match – and away from home, no less, in the derby against Zagreb – he proved that Klemen Luzar could count on him, even in the big games. Paris have been warned: a new European talent has emerged, and he will need to be watched closely at Coubertin this Wednesday evening.
On this final matchday of the first half of the group stage, Aalborg will travel to Zagreb this Thursday. Currently joint-top of the table with the capital club, the Danish side will be looking to extend their lead over their direct rivals. In the other groups that could affect Stefan Madsen’s men in the main round, Veszprém will be looking to continue their perfect record in the Champions League by beating Raul Gonzalez’s Partizan Belgrade, just a few days after winning the Club World Cup against Barcelona.
Also in Group A, Füchse Berlin will play host to Porto in the hope of pulling clear of the Portuguese side in the standings. In Group B, Nantes will travel to face Melsungen, who sit second in the group. Plock would therefore be well advised to secure a win against Vardar in North Macedonia to try and put themselves in a strong position ahead of the second half of the group stage. As a reminder, the clubs finishing in the top two places in Groups A, B and C will be drawn in the same group for the main round, which begins in November.
Kick-off is at 20:45 for this EHF Champions League Matchday 3 clash! There are still tickets available at Coubertin to cheer on our Rouge et Bleus. If you’re unable to make it to the venue in the west of Paris this Wednesday, the match will be broadcast live and exclusively on beIN SPORTS 2.
