Montpellier
Montpellier kept pace with Paris Saint-Germain's relentless pace at the start of the season. But in the last four games, the south-westerners have only won twice, allowing the Rouge et Bleu to take a slight lead. Last time out, MHB even suffered their first defeat of the season, losing the derby against Nîmes (30-29).
This setback allowed Nantes to steal second place with a one-point lead over MHB, and leaves Erick Mathe's men three points behind the Parisian leaders. However, Montpellier, unbeaten in their last three matches in all competitions against the capital club, are determined to bounce back in style.
With 281 goals conceded in 10 games, Montpellier boast the second-best defensive record in the league (just ahead of Paris) and look set to be a tough team to break down. MHB will be looking to 'keeper Charles Bozinger, who has been in fine form this season with a 31.10% save rate, to maintain a high level.
Les Rouge et Bleu will also have to be careful not to commit too many fouls, as Montpellier's top scorer, Jack Thurin, could well take advantage. The Swedish giant tops the league for succesful penalties, with 40 strikes (out of 56 scored in total) from the seven-metre line. In addition to this valuable weapon in what promises to be a tense match, Erick Mathe's men will be able to count on two players who know Coubertin well: David Balaguer and Léo Plantin, recruited this summer after three and four seasons respectively in the capital.
With smiles back on their faces following their European League victory over Ostrovia (37-26) earlier in the week, the visitors will be a tough obstacle for our Parisians to overcome.
The Parisians will be playing their second consecutive home game, but the run won't be over at full-time. After Montpellier, they will have to turn their attention back to the Champions League, with an important match against Plock at 20:45 on Thursday 27 November. The home league game against Chambéry at 16:00 on 30 November will bring the intense run of fixtures at Coubertin - during which Les Rouge et Bleu will need all the support they can get from their fans - to an end.
On Friday, Nîmes will be looking to build on their promising victory against Montpellier when they travel to Limoges, who are looking to snatch a place on the podium. At the same time, Dijon will host Chartres in an important match at the bottom of the table; Toulouse will welcome Dunkerque; and Tremblay will be looking to stay in the leading pack by beating lowly-ranked Sélestat.
On Saturday, Istres will be looking to make an impact away to Saint-Raphaël to get back into the race for survival. The following day, Nantes could continue their march forward against Aix, while the clash between Chambéry and Cesson-Rennes will bring this intense league matchday to a close.
