Paris narrowly defeated by Plock
Handball•
Paris Saint-Germain Handball suffered a narrow defeat to Wisla Plock (29-30) on EHF Champions League Matchday 9 - despite some phenomenal support at Coubertin.
With a commanding victory over Montpellier at the weekend (34-31), Les Rouge et Bleu continued their steady improvement since the international break and were keen to build on this form in the Champions League. Stefan Madsen's men were also keen to get their own back against Plock after suffering a frustrating defeat in the first match in Poland (35-32). A victory would have been a great way to celebrate the last European match of the year at Coubertin, while also boosting their points tally.
Third in Group B, Plock were obviously keen not to drop points but had their work cut out in the heated atmosphere of Coubertin. The match was tight, the duels were fierce, and it was the visitors who take the lead. Much sharper in attack, Xavi Sabate's players were well in front at half-time (30': 14-18). The Parisians had no choice: they had to dig deep to come back strong in the second half.
Stefan Madsen's men redoubled their efforts to try and close the gap, even getting to within one goal of their opponents (41': 20-21). The tension at the end of the match became unbearable, with the capital club closing in on the Poles in front of a fired-up crowd (57': 28-29). Unfortunately, despite Elohim Prandi's impressive nine-goal performance our Rouge et Bleu couldn't quite get the better of a tenacious Plock side (60': 29-30).
The Parisians can still qualify for the quarter-finals despite the defeat, and there is no doubt that Stefan Madsen will be able to learn from this match. In a very physical encounter, his players showed great mental strength to constantly reduce the deficit and keep their hopes alive. Nevertheless, they will need to do more in the coming matches, with a highly anticipated trip to Barcelona on Wednesday for their last European match of the year.
Paris will return to league action at 16:00 on Sunday 30 November as Chambéry travel to Coubertin for Liqui Moly StarLigue Matchday 12. This match could be an opportunity for the capital club's players to regain their confidence and continue their perfect season in the league. The Champions League will then resume with a clash in Barcelona at 20:45 on 3 December.