It was time to return to Coubertin! After three away games - all victories - in 2026, Les Rouge et Bleu were back in front of their fans for the first time this year, with the firm intention of continuing their excellent run of form. The Parisians had to win to ensure they remained on top of the Liqui Moly StarLigue standings as Nantes, with a game in hand, had drawn level with them. Meanwhile, mid-table Aix were looking to make a big move and keep their European hopes alive.
The atmosphere was festive, and the start of the match was quite enjoyable, with both teams playing on the front foot. The opening minutes saw our new recruit Simen Lyse scored his first goal at Coubertin, celebrated as it should be by the Parisian crowd (3': 2-1). Les Rouge et Bleu started well and managed to open up an early lead, with Sebastian Karlsson scoring his second goal after a good pass from Luc Steins (10': 8-4).
Stefan Madsen's men dominated the first quarter of an hour, managing to maintain a certain lead over the visitors, who were nevertheless enterprising in attack. Aix remained in contention, relying on two important saves from goalkeeper Gustaf Banke. But our African champion Yahia Omar immediately extinguished the the visitors' hopes, using his power and skill to score two goals in two minutes (23': 14-9).
Another player who shone during the international break, returning from the EHF Euro 2026 with the Croatian bronze medal around his neck, was Mateo Maras. The Croatian also scored two goals in a row, allowing his team to pull away. Two penalty throws from Aix did little to change the outcome of the first half, and Les Rouge et Bleu took a comfortable lead into the break (30': 18-14).
However, the start of the second half went the way of Eric Forêts's men, who managed to equalise by scoring four unanswered goals (37: 18-18). Under pressure, Les Rouge et Bleu had to react, and Stefan Madsen called a time-out to try to find a solution just after PAUC had managed to take the lead (44': 22-23). It was a real battle at Coubertin, with the crowd spurring the capital club's players on.
A few minutes after his first touch of the match, at the start of the final quarter, Elohim Prandi sprang into action and got Paris back in the lead (46': 24-23). It remained a close contest, with the side from Provence refusing to give up. The back-and-forth continued, but as the end of the match approached, a successful penalty from Kamil Syprzak gave the Parisians some breathing space (55': 28-26). It was the Pole's seventh goal of the game.
After setting a new personal best for saves in Zagreb earlier in the week, Jannick confirmed his sparkling form with two decisive stops. Yahia Omar then gave the Parisians a four-goal lead as they raced towards victory (58': 30-26). Aix are definitely the favourite prey of the Egyptian international, who set his scoring record in the reverse fixture (12) and added eight more on Sunday. Paris had to battle hard against fierce opposition, but the capital club held on to win (60': 32-28) and remain at the top of the league.
Now it's time for the EHF Champions League, with the eagerly awaited visit of Szeged to Coubertin at 20:45 on Thursday 26 February. Immediately afte that, Les Rouge et Bleu will return to league action on Sunday 1 March (15:00) with a trip to Dijon, which will be crucial in their quest for the title.
Yahia Omar: eight goals, Kamil Syprzak: seven, Luc Steins: four, Mateo Maras, Sebastian Karlsson, Mathieu Grébille, Luka Karabatic, Symen Lyse, Elohim Prandi: two goals, Noah Gaudin: one goal. Jannick Green: six saves, Mikkel Lovkvist: four.
