Paris had to bounce back after losing the first leg of their EHF Champions League play-off at Veszprém this week (24–32). A place in the continental quarter-finals is sitll within reach, however, and a good win in the league would be the perfect way to get back on track before the return leg at Coubertin. However, the Parisians had to be wary of Istres, who had regained form in recent weeks and had no intention of making things easy for the capital club.
Stefan Madsen's men attacked strongly from the outset, with two powerful shots from Elohim Prandi hitting the target (4': 3-1). Istres did not lose heart in the early stages, and were even prevented from taking the lead when Mikkel Lovkvist saved a seven-metre throw (10': 5-5). As the match wore on, Les Rouge et Bleu fought hard to regain control, with an excellent Noah Gaudin scoring three times (16': 10-6).
Ultra-focused, the capital club tore into the Istres defence, who began to struggle after initally containing their attacks. On top of their incisive attacking play, Paris were tight at the back, leaving the visitors little room to manoeuvre. In goal, Mikkel proved decisive with seven saves, helping his side to a clear lead (23': 15-6). Winter recruit Simen Lyse also showed his worth, scoring four times in the first half.
In ebullient form, our keeper added a goal to his impressive save tally, bringing the Parisians' fine first half to a perfect close (30': 21-9). Istrs tried to come back with renewed vigour, but Les Rouge et Bleu remained ruthless, with Yahia Omar scoring spectacularly (38': 25-14). In goal, Jannick Green picked up where Lovkvist had left off, making three consecutive saves.
As the final quarter-hour approached, Istres had made up some of their deficit, but Paris still had a cushion on the scoreboard (44': 30-20). With 12 different scorers, the capital club looked dangerous from all angles, and managed their advantage well against visitors who were clearly in better form in the second half. The capital club seemed to have made the difference, and kept their opponents at bay (54': 35-23).
Stefan Madsen's men held firm and ran out deserved winners (60': 40-25), regaining confidence after a difficult week on the European stage. This precious victory keeps Paris in top spot in the league, with a two-point lead over closest rivals Nantes. The battle for the title promises to be tight right to the end!
Simen Lyse, Noah Gaudin: six goals, Gautier Loredon: five, Elohim Prandi, Sindre Heldal, Kamil Syprzak, Yahia Omar: four, Mateo Maras: three, Ferran Solé: two, Karl Konan, Sebastian Karlsson, Mikkel Lovkvist: one, Mikkel Lovkvist: ten saves, Jannick Green: six.
Paris will be back at Coubertin this week, with a very important Champions League match against Veszprém. The return leg of their EHF Champions League play-off tie - when Les Rouge et Bleu will be looking to spring an upset against their Hungarian opponents - is set for 20:45 on Thursday 9 April at 20:45. The players will need all the support they can get from their fans if they are to qualify for the quarter-finals!
