Les Rouge et Bleu knocked out of the Coupe de France by Montpellier
Handball•
Paris Saint-Germain Handball lost 39-35 away to Montpellier in the Coupe de France semi-finals on Wednesday 15 April 2026.
Narrow winners over Saint-Raphaël last weekend (36–34), Paris Saint-Germain Handball continued their run at the top of the Liqui Moly StarLigue. But Les Rouge et Bleu also had their sights set on another trophy, the Coupe de France, having reached the semi-finals with a win away to Saran in February (25–30). It was no easy task at Montpellier’s FDI Stadium, where an upset was in the air. A high-stakes semi-final awaited Paris.
As was to be expected in this clash, Montpellier attacked strongly and the Parisians had to wait a few minutes to get into their stride (6': 3-3). The two sides were locked in a tight duel right from the start, with the defences and goalkeepers under pressure - particularly Charles Bolzinger in the Montpellier goal. The Parisians took a narrow lead, but their opponents stayed in touch.
Thanks to a seven-metre throw perfectly converted by Kamil Syprzak, Paris managed to make the first break of the match a few moments later, forcing Érick Mathé to call his first time-out (15': 7-9). The hosts got back into the game, but the sudden awakening of Yahia Omar, who scored two goals in quick succession, cooled their jets in a first half that remained entertaining and fast-paced.
Resisting the onslaught following Luka Karabatic's temporary send-off, Stefan Madsen's men were formidable on the counter, and built up a small lead as half-time approached (23': 10-13). At the end of a first half that lived up to expectations, Paris were slightly ahead on the scoreboard, but still had everything to play for (30': 18-19).
The back-and-forth resumed at the start of the second period, with Les Rouge et Bleu desperate to break clear and Montpellier holding firm (37': 23-23). Unfortunately, the team from the Hérault region managed to turn the match around, buoyed by a heroic performance from goalkeeper Rémi Desbonnet (43': 28-25).
The Parisians had not said their last word, but Desbonnet's stellar performance was a real thorn in their side. Indeed, Les Rouge et Bleu's hopes were dashed by ten saves from the French international, who was in a state of grace. In the end, fate chose not to smile on the capital club, and they exited the Coupe de France just one step away from the final (60': 39-35). The Parisians must now concentrate on their bid for the French league title, where everything remains open.
Kamil Syprzak: ten goals, Ferran Sole: seven, Luc Steins: five, Elohim Prandi: four, Yahia Omar: three, Simen Lyse, Wallem Peleka, Noah Gaudin: two, Jannick Green: 12 saves, Mikkel Lovkvist: one.
The final sprint for the Liqui Moly StarLigue title promises to be intense, with closest pursuers Nantes just two points behind. Paris now look to get back to winning ways in a tough match-up away to Limoges on Saturday 18 April (19:00). The following match matchy will also be played away, at Cesson-Rennes on 24 April (20:30).