The Parisians enjoyed their return to action in front of a packed crowd as they took on Zeekstar Tokyo at the Ariake Arena. And in their first match of the season, Stefan Madsen’s men put on a show, securing a comfortable victory (41–31). A brilliant way to kick things off, even if the Parisian coach is no doubt expecting even more from his players.
Nevertheless, for this first outing, the Parisian coach was able to make full use of his squad, with 13 different scorers throughout the match. With a second match coming up the very next day, there’s no doubt the Danish tactician will once again rotate his squad, looking to get all his charges up and running in Japan before returning to Europe for the rest of their pre-season. The aim is to be ready for the return to competitive action on 29 August in the Trophée des Champions against Montpellier.
After facing a powerhouse from the Japanese league in Zeekstar, the Parisians will face another challenge against the Japan U21s. This is a young side that should not be underestimated, given their steady progress on the continental and international stage. For the first time in their history, the Japanese youngsters have qualified for the World Cup three times in a row.
Having won their first Asian title in 2022, they went on to secure a second consecutive title in the competition, establishing themselves as one of the continent’s new powerhouses. Facing a top-class European opponent, the Japanese U21s are determined to rise to the challenge, and they are certainly not to be underestimated.
Stefan Madsen will be able to count on his new signings - both of whom impressed on debut against Zeekstar - for this match. Frederik Ladefoged and Bjarki Elisson both scored their first goals, with the Icelander even finishing as Paris’s top scorer in the match with eight in total. On his return to the club six years after leaving, Rodrigo Corrales shone between the posts, making ten saves during the 30 second-half minutes he played. Against the Japan U21s, Madsen will no doubt want to continue this integration of his new men, which has so far proved successful.
The match will take place at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo at 19:20 (12:20 French time) on Wednesday 5 August and will be streamed on Paris Saint-Germain Handball’s YouTube channel, as well as on PSG TV.
