The Parisians lost 37 to 32 against Barcelona on Monday in Cologne. They will try to get a third place in the small final on Tuesday.
Le Monde with AFP
Diminished by injuries and the Covid-19, the Parisian handball players failed to reach the final of the “Final Four” of the Champions League, after their defeat to Barcelona 37 to 32, Monday, December 28, in Cologne (Germany). p >
In the match for third place, the Parisians will face the Hungarians of Veszprem, losers of the second semi-final against the Germans of Kiel. The small final will take place on Tuesday, with a kick-off at 6 p.m. From the side, Kiel will face Barcelona in the final on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m., to win a fourth European title.
The PSG players considered themselves before the meeting as “outsiders” against a team that had them dominated twice in the group stage last season.
To these sports results was added the mid injury -October from Nikola Karabatic, winner of three Champions League. The Paris playing master suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will be away from the field for about six months.
Finally, the Covid-19 pandemic had to disrupt Parisian plans just hours before the meeting. Luc Steins, first, had tested positive on Sunday, leaving his teammates without a center-back (training). It was ultimately Nedim Remili who had been chosen to occupy this key position. Then, on arrival in Cologne, it was the turn of Danish pivot Henrik Toft Hansen to test positive.
A formidable Barcelona goalkeeper
Monday, during the first Quarter of an hour of the first period, the players of Raul Gonzalez were, in a Lanxess-Arena behind closed doors, shown impeccable, as much in defense as in attack, counting up to three goals in advance. But the Parisians then came up against the Barcelona goalkeeper, Kevin Møller, formidable efficiency in the first period.
The Barcelonans, for their part, took advantage of seven minutes without scoring the Parisians, and repeatedly reaching five lengths in advance, in particular thanks to the individual performance of the French back Dika Mem (6/6 in the first period).
At 18-14 at the break, the Parisians knew that nothing should be let go, nothing more wasted.
Back from the locker room, Vincent Gérard managed to maintain the ship afloat, stopping three shots in less than four minutes. “We tried to fight hard with the weapons we had. What was our best weapon, the 7v6 [outfielders] didn’t work as we wanted; our defense didn’t work either. worked “, analyzes Nedim Remili.
The too many ball losses in the second half were right for the Parisians, like the one lost by Dainis Kristopans, and which would have made it possible to return to two goals ( 43 e ).
Despite the efforts on the left wing of Dylan Nahi , 21, top scorer in the game with nine goals scored, and Mikkel Hansen, perfect at 7 meters (5/5, 7/9 in total), Luka Karabatic’s teammates have never managed to catch up.
They will now have the small final in their sights, and with it the hope of clinching third place in the Champions League.