After winning all their matches since the return from the winter break, Paris Saint-Germain saw their streak come to an end with a draw against Pelister in the EHF Champions League this week (34-34). Stefan Madsen's men quickly had the opportunity to bounce back in the Liqui Moly StarLigue, with the added bonus of a huge clash for Matchday 19. In Montpellier, Les Rouge et Bleu can regain a two-point lead at the top of the league, while regaining confidence away to one of the league's big teams.
Montpellier, title contenders at the start of the season, have suffered a few negative results that have distanced them from the Paris-Nantes duo atop the table. But Erick Mathé's men remain ambitious and on Thursday qualified for the EHF European League round of 16. With their sights still set on a place in the Champions League at the end of the season, Montpellier can no longer afford to make any mistakes if they want to keep up with the relentless pace at the top of the standings.
A victory against the French champions would be a major coup in this second half of the season. Especially since the restart has not been easy for Montpellier, who were narrowly beaten by Limoges (31-30) and held in check for the entire first half by bottom-of-the-table Istres, before winning (33-28). More authoritative against Chambéry last weekend (31-35), MHB have regained their form and are moving forward with somewhat renewed confidence.
Paris have lost two of their last three clashes with Montpellier in all competitions: in the 2025 Coupe de France final and in the last Trophée des Champions. Nevertheless, the last meeting between the two sides ended in a clear victory for Les Rouge et Bleu at Coubertin (34-31), and the men from the capital, unbeaten on the domestic scene this season, are determined to live up to their status.
In recent seasons, trips to the Hérault region have remained perilous, and Stefan Madsen's men will have to be serious to take the two points. The MHB will be counting on 'keeper Charles Bolzinger, sixth in the StarLigue in terms of saves, who has stopped 35% of shots since the restart. With the second-best defence in the league, just behind Paris, Montpellier also have the offensive weapons to shake up their opponents.
With 10 goals (from 11 attempts) against Chambéry, pivot Arthur Lenne is on a roll, and his duel with Kamil Syprzak, who is also in good form, will be one to watch. The Brazilian Hugo Monte Dos Santos, who was lively in the first leg with seven goals, is also one of the spearheads of Montpellier's attack and will be supported by Jack Thurin, the Swedish 7-metre throw expert and current club top scorer (93 goals).
This match is also particularly important in the season for both clubs, who will meet again at the Sud de France Arena in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France on 14 or 15 April. It will be a real test to gain a psychological advantage in this French classic, which promises to be another thrilling encounter for the fans.
This matchday is unusual in that it began in February, as Nantes had to play a match in advance, which they won against Chartres (27-41). The H will therefore be resting this weekend. On Thursday, two matches also took place, with Aix beating Selestat (31-29) and Toulouse winning at Dunkerque (27-31). On Friday, the three matches on the schedule will see some teams fighting for survival while outsiders for Europe face off.
Saint-Raphaël will play host to Dijon, Cesson-Rennes will look to thwart Chambery's ambitions, while Istres, bottom of the standings, will be hoping to keep their hopes alive against Tremblay. The day after the match between Montpellier and Paris, Limoges will travel to Nîmes looking to consolidate fourth place, and perhaps even move closer to the podium if Montpellier slip up.
