The Preview: Aix - Paris
Handball•
Back from the international break, Paris Saint-Germain Handball travel to Aix-en-Provence for their Daikin StarLigue Matchday 10 clash on Sunday, 15 November.
A new phase of the 2026-27 season kicks off this Sunday. Following the first international break of the season, which went particularly well for all Rouge et Bleu players involved, the Parisians will now play 11 matches in quick succession over the next six weeks, leading up to the January break, which will see domestic competitions make way for the World Cup in Germany.
It promises to be a busy schedule, and all the more so when you take a closer look at the upcoming fixtures. Omn top of their trip to Aix, Stefan Madsen’s men still have to face every team in the top five of the league (Nantes, Nîmes, Tremblay) with the exception of Montpellier, whom they beat before the break. In the Champions League, Paris will face two title contenders, starting away to Füchse Berlin before a home fixture against Veszprém. And then there's the Coupe de France, with a quarter-final to be played at Coubertin against Cesson-Rennes on 18 December.
While their results have been rather inconsistent since the start of the season, Aix remain as ambitious as they are unpredictable. Coach Eduard Fernandez Roura, who arrived this summer from Cherbourg, has developed an attractive, team-based style of play that manifests in the perfect understanding among his players on the court. The Spanish coach can rely in particular on key figures in the dressing room such as the experienced Joze Baznik, who is currently the goalkeeper with the most saves (94) and the most assists (8) in the top flight this season.
Captain of a club he has never left since making his professional debut in 2013, Gabriel Loesch remains as unstoppable as ever on the right wing. At 31, the player who once again features in the top 10 goalscorers after nine matchdays (45 goals) will make his 223rd consecutive Starligue appearance on Sunday, having not missed a single top-flight fixture since 2018!
However, PAUC isn’t made up solely of experienced players – quite the opposite, in fact. Having been a veritable talent factory in recent seasons, the Provençal side once again boasts a wealth of young talent this season, and they are improving week by week. Thrown into the starting seven at the start of the season following injury to Magnus Sondena – who only returned on Matchday 8 – Adam Nagy is making a real impression. At 21, the young Hungarian right-back is already racking up impressive statistics (22 goals, 23 assists and 13 blocks).
On the wing, Greek international Alexiou Stravos could be one of the revelations of the season. Despite stiff competition from stalwart Vanja Ilic, who also joined the club this summer, the 20-year-old talent is making his mark, hitting a 4 from 5 in his side’s victory at Dunkerque before the winter break (36-24). Of course, whenever Aix and talent are mentioned in the same breath, the name that inevitably springs to mind is, unsurprisingly, Eliott Desblancs. The newly capped French international already has all the makings of a star and is proving it once again this season (35 goals, 50 assists).
This week, Paris Saint-Germain Handball launched its Discord channel, a free, community-driven platform where you can discuss the latest news about our Rouge et Bleu. Throughout the week, supporters can chat amongst themselves, as well as with members of the capital club’s editorial team. To mark the occasion, we’ll be joining you this Sunday at 17:00 on the Tribune Handball channel to watch the match against Aix together. Join us to discuss how the match is unfolding – and how our Parisians are performing – in a friendly get-together with the Rouge et Bleu family!
Throw-off for the Daikin StarLigue Matchday 10 fixture is at 17:00 on Sunday, 15 November. The match will be broadcast live and exclusively on beIN SPORTS 1, and can also be followed on our Discord!