For the first time in 2026, Les Rouge et Bleu returned to their home crowd after three consecutive away wins. The capital club was coming off a spectacular victory in Zagreb in the EHF Champions League (24-35) and intended to capitalise on their good form since the return from the international break. The Parisians did just that in the first half, dominating play and taking a comfortable lead into the break (30': 18-14).
However, the second half produced a fierce battle as Aix, who came back from the break with a vengeance, levelled it up in just seven minutes (37' 18-18). Under pressure and even trailing twice, Stefan Madsen's men showed great spirit to turn the game around and win (32-28). With renewed cutting edge late in the piece, Paris won their first home game of the year to remain at the top of the league table.
Facing the league's fourth-best defence, Les Rouge et Bleu needed to show their strength in attack. Surprisingly, it was in this area that Aix stood out at Coubertin (Eric Forêts's men were only ranked tenth in attack before the match), but Paris was able to respond. For the 16th time in 17 StarLigue matches, the capital club scored 30 or more goals, with ten different players getting on the scoresheet on Sunday.
Among them, Yahia Omar shone brightest, with eight goals and four assists. The Egyptian international, named man of the match, spearheaded a strong attack alongside the mercurial Luc Steins (four goals, six assists) and the clinical Kamil Syprzak (seven goals from seven attempts). At the other end of the court, our goalkeeper Jannick Green, who has been in sparkling form since the return to action, was decisive in the final minutes to help his teammates pull away.
The Parisian crowd enjoyed a great show from both teams. They also had the opportunity to celebrate the success of their international players before the match: Mateo Maras, bronze medallist at the 2026 EHF Euro with Croatia, and Yahia Omar, African champion with Egypt and named MVP of the tournament. The match also marked the Coubertin debut of our new recruit Simen Lyse. The Norwegian showed great initiative and scored his first two goals in front of Les Rouge et Bleus' faithful fans.
Stefan Madsen's men will once again be at home when they host Szeged on EHF CHampions League Matchday 12 on Thursday 26 February (20:45). This match could prove crucial for qualification for the play-offs, and Les Rouge et Bleu will need all the support they can get from their fans. Our lads are off to a strong start in 2026 and there is plenty of excitement ahead for the fans!
