After returning from the international break with a 28-31 EHF Champions League away win over GOG, Paris Saint-Germain suffered two cruel defeats at home, against Barcelona (27-30) and Plock (29-30). Sitting fifth in Group B, Paris are still in contention for a place in the quarters and Stefan Madsen's men are determined not to let this bad run continue, with one last European match to play before the winter break.
The good news for Les Rouge et Bleu is that, while their Champions League record has been mixed, their form in the Liqui Moly StarLigue has been outstanding. Paris are managing their domestic affairs masterfully, their victory over Chambéry last weekend (33-26) taking their record to 12 wins... in 12 matches. This is enough to build a lot of confidence and perfect their teamwork ahead of a highly anticipated re-match against Barcelona on Wednesday.
Revenge will bein the air at the Palau Blaugrana after the Catalans' victory at Coubertin two weeks ago (27-30). It was a match in which Les Rouge et Bleu put in an impressive second-half performance, coming back twice to within a single goal of their opponents. One of the keys to this return leg will be finding a way to break down the wall that is Emil Nielsen, first-leg man of the match, who frustrated the players from the capital with no fewer than 18 saves.
The Danish goalkeeper has played a big part in Carlos Ortega's men occupying second place, as well as their status as the best defence in the Champions League (240 goals conceded). Faced with this ironclad defence, Stefan Madsen will be able to count on strongman Elohim Prandi. The Parisian left-back, the second-highest scorer in the Champions League (70 goals), was named man of the match this weekend against Chambéry, with seven goals to break the Savoyards' resistance. A performance of the same calibre will be needed on Wednesday to shake the 13-time winners of the competition.
Matchday 10 kicks off on Wednesday with a clash between two teams in desperate need of points. Zagreb, bottom of Group B with nine defeats in as many games, will be looking to get off the mark against Pelister, who are seventh and still in with a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals. The following day, Denmark's GOG will face a perilous away trip to Plock, while Magdeburg, defending champions and current group B leaders, will play host to Hungary's Szeged as they look to take another step towards the quarters.
This EHF Champions League Matchday 10 fixture will be broadcast live on Eurosport 2 from 20:45.
