After suffering a narrow defeat in Zagreb midweek in the EHF Champions League (28–29), Les Rouge et Bleu returned to league action on Sunday looking to bounce back. Facing a Saint-Raphaël side that has had a difficult start to the season, Stefan Madsen’s men – playing away from home for the fourth consecutive match across all competitions – were aiming to secure their eighth win in as many Daikin StarLigue matches.
The start of the match was a tight affair, with Saint-Raphaël often playing without a goalkeeper to create a numerical advantage in attack. It was in this situation that Elohim Prandi punished the home side, allowing Paris to take the lead for the first time in the match (7': 4-5). Having made an excellent start to the match, Mikkel Lovkvist produced a magnificent save – the 300th of his league career.
Stefan Madsen’s men took control and swiftly pulled clear (18': 7-12), with Luc Steins scoring his third goal of the afternoon. Dominating proceedings, the Parisians exploited the gaps in the opposition’s defence, and Wallem Peleka took advantage to score his 100th StarLigue goal (22': 8-15). Thanks to a ruthless performance, the capital club passed the 20-goal mark before half-time and maintained a comfortable lead going into the break (30': 13-22).
Having shown great determination in the first half, Les Rouge et Bleu were keen to build on their efforts and secure a fine away win. With ten saves to his name, Lovkvist continued to frustrate the Saint-Raphaël attackers, who looked powerless against the Danish goalkeeper. As sharp as ever in attack, Paris kept the pressure on their opponents (40': 16-28). With some powerful shooting, Wallem Peleka continued his fine performance, scoring his fourth goal from four attempts.
The Parisians' dominance saw the pace slow somewhat, even though the side from the Var region played boldly in the second half. With ten minutes to go, the gap was too wide to bridge, and the capital club managed their lead well (51': 25-36). Still dazzling in attack, Stefan Madsen’s players broke the 40-goal mark and secured a resounding victory – a crucial result ahead of a decisive week (60': 28-42).
Noah Gaudin: Six goals; Elohim Prandi, Wallem Peleka, Luc Steins, Yahia Omar, Mateo Maras: four each; Karl Konan, Emil Mellegard: three each; Kamil Syprzak, Luka Karabatic, Frederik Ladefoged, Bjarki Elisson: two each; Sebastian Karlsson, Ferran Sole: one each. Mikkel Lovkvist: 14 saves.
After a solid performance and his 300th career save in the league, Mikkel Lovkvist celebrates one of his 14 saves from the afternoon.
This resounding victory was excellent preparation for our Parisians ahead of a very important week on all fronts. In the Champions League, the capital club face Aalborg in a top-of-the-table clash that will be decisive for the rest of the competition, on Wednesday 28 October at 20:45. On Sunday 1 November, Stefan Madsen’s men will have another tough match to contend with, this time in the league, against Montpellier. Both matches will take place at Coubertin, with large crowds expected.
