Saran - Paris preview: Les Rouge et Bleu are back!
Handball•
On Tuesday 10 February 2026, Paris Saint-Germain Handball finally return to competitive action with a Coupe de France quarter-final away to Saran. Get set for a thrilling return to action!
It's finally back to competition for our handballers! Several weeks after their spectacular match in Nantes (31-31), our Rouge et Bleu will be back in action. Since that clash in December, the international break afforded several of our players some exciting moments, with our Croatian player Mateo Maras returning from the EHF Euro 2026 with a bronze medal around his neck and Yahia Omar with gold from the African Cup of Nations with Egypt.
Now, all eyes are on what promises to be an intense month of February, starting with three consecutive away games. The first of these, in Saran, is already a crucial match, with a Coupe de France semis berth at stake. The final four promises to be particularly high-calibre, and Paris - finalists last year - will be going all-out to be in the mix. However, they will need to be wary of an opponent who surprised everyone in the round of 16 and is determined to pull off another upset at home.
The Septors - the last ProLigue team still in contention - are the surprise packet of this Coupe de France, having knocked out two Liqui Moly StarLigue teams in a row. Tremblay, currently seventh in the league, and then Limoges, fourth, fell at the Palais des Sports Jean Ros in Orléans, giving Saran the opportunity to face the capital club. In front of a fired-up crowd, they will pose a real threat - one that the Parisians will have to neutralise to avoid an unpleasant surprise.
Saran's main asset is an attacking pair with an eye for the spectacle. With 78 and 75 goals respectively in the ProLigue, Lucas Petit and Alban Simonnet have been causing havoc for opposing defences this season. The pair, who lead the league's sharpest attack (520 goals scored), were formidable against Limoges in the round of 16 (42-38). Petit bagged ten goals and Simonnet provided ten assists, and the duo will undoubtedly be highly motivated to deliver another impressive performance for Saran.
Luis Cruz has built a team that is resolutely focused on attack, but which is struggling at the back, with only the 12th-best defence of the 15 teams competing in the ProLigue this season (484 goals conceded). This is a weakness that the Rouge et Bleu attackers will need to exploit, but they will still have to get past goalkeeper Zoran Radic, who made nine decisive saves against Limoges.
Stefan Madsen will be able to count on a new face in his squad with the early arrival of Norwegian international Simen Lyse, who will have the opportunity to meet his new teammates after competing in the Euros. The left-back will be a significant reinforcement for the capital club, which intends to shine on all fronts in 2026. Qualifying for the Coupe de France semis would be a great way to start the second half of the season.
Paris Saint-Germain and Saran will be the last two teams to face each other in the quarter-finals. On Friday, Nîmes got the ball rolling with a narrow victory away to Chambéry (23-24). The following day, Montpellier secured their qualification against Aix (34-27), as did Nantes, who put on an offensive masterclass at home against Dunkerque (37-21). The big teams are all firing in the Coupe de France!