Zagreb vs Paris: The Preview
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On Wednesday 18 February (18:45), Paris Saint-Germain Handball take on Zagreb in their Matchday 11 EHF Champions League clash in Croatia. Find out everything you need to know about this clash.
After victorious returns to action in the Coupe de France against Saran (25-30) and in the league against Dunkerque (25-29), our Parisians are now preparing to return to the Champions League. While Stefan Madsen's men are in a good position in both domestic competitions, their European campaign has been more tumultuous.
On the eve of Matchday 11, the capital club is in sixth place in line for the play-offs. This makes the last four games crucial, as the slightest mistake could prove costly. But for Zagreb, the situation is much more alarming, as this match against Paris is their very last chance.
Currently bottom of Group B, Zagreb are four points behind Paris. Another defeat on Wednesday would leave the Croatian side six points adrift of the play-off places with only three games remaining. With the head-to-head record in favour of Les Rouge et Bleu, Nenad Šoštarić's men will be officially eliminated if they lose.
This is yet another ingredient that guarantees a spectacular match at the Arena Zagreb, which is always a difficult place to play given how vocal the Croatian supporters are in their support for their team. The Parisians will therefore need to be flawless, especially as Zagreb will be at almost full strength.
At a press conference, Boris Dvoršek, who joined the coaching staff this winter to assist Šoštarić, said that only Alex Kavcic was out with injury. Former Parisian Jakov Gojun, now 39, could replace him. Another former capital club player could have taken Kavcic's place at left-back in his absence, namely Abdelrahman Abdou!
After playing the first half of the season with Paris, the Egyptian international joined Zagreb this winter. However, he will be ineligible for the EHF Champions League, having already played in the current edition with another club. The left flank could therefore be weakened, but the Croatian side has several other quality options in different positions.
Zagreb and Paris kick off the first continental matchday of the year on Wednesday at 18:45, with the match broadcast on the Eurosport website and app. At the same time, Szeged, Paris's future opponent at Coubertin, will play host to Barcelona. On Wednesday evening, GOG, who are just two points ahead of Paris, will travel to Magdeburg, while Pelister will play host to Plock on Thursday evening.