The Preview: Celje - Paris
Handball•
Paris Saint-Germain Handball will face RK Celje in their EHF Champions League Matchday 4 fixture in Slovenia on Wednesday 14 October 2026. Find out everything you need to know about this already crucial clash!
With two wins and a draw in the first half of the group stage, the capital club is in a very strong position. After securing a valuable point in Aalborg on Matchday 1 (33-33), our Rouge et Bleu went on to notch wins against Zagreb (34-30) and Celje (46-35) at Coubertin. Crucial victories, as the lads now face tricky trips to Slovenia and Croatia before wrapping up the group stage at home against the Danish champions.
Our Parisians would therefore be well advised to replicate last week’s record-breaking performance against the Slovenians. Because - should Stefan Madsen’s men beat Celje and Aalborg win at home against Zagreb - both teams will have already secured their places in the main round. For Celje, hopes of qualification have probably already faded, but they will be determined to secure their first point of the 2026-2027 campaign.
Flawless in the league with six wins from as many matches, Stefan Madsen’s men are also making an impression on the continental stage. Having scored 113 goals across the first three matchdays, the capital club shares top spot on the tournament's attacking table with Szeged. The Parisians broke two club records against Celje last week: the most goals scored in the first half of a Champions League match and the most goals scored in a single European match (46).
These were remarkable performances for the club, but also in absolute terms. Their 25-goal haul by half-time ranks among the best performances in the competition’s history (the record stands at 26 goals, held by six clubs), while only five clubs have scored more than 46 goals in a single Champions League match. Stefan Madsen has repeatedly highlighted his players’ spirit at the start of this season, and they are proving him right with every match on the pitch. With 19 and 20 goals respectively, Yahia Omar and Elohim Prandi continue to deliver.
This fourth matchday is therefore much like the third, featuring clashes between Paris and Celje, as well as between Aalborg and Zagreb. On Matchday 3, both the Parisians and the Scandinavians secured convincing victories. While the capital club finished 11 points clear (46–35), the Danish champions won by a ten-goal margin in Croatia (23–33). On Wednesday evening at 18:45, Stefan Madsen’s men could therefore provisionally take the lead in Group C, with Aalborg to face Zagreb at the same time on Thursday.
