Halfway through, Bordeaux took advantage of the draws of its competitors: Frontignan at Elite Val d’Oise (32-32) and Mulhouse-Rixheim at Cournon (29-29). In the other matches, Saintes created a surprise at home by blocking the dynamics of Poitou (40-33), while Gonfreville overcame Pau and Paris won without difficulty in Vernouillet.

The shocks are legion in this championship, and the coming of Frontignan in the Val d’Oise was indeed one. In ambush behind the three headliners of the hen, theElite Val d’Oise has nothing to be ashamed of at the start of the season and presents a team capable of annoying the biggest teams of National 1 elite. However, it is the visitors who will be in the lead for most of the match. Strong men Kevin Mesnard (14 stops), Gaëtan Canton and Lucas Pelegrin (7 goals each) are there, and Romaric Biglietti’s red card in the first act will not help the locals (14-17, 30 ′). This difference of 3 lengths will generally be maintained until the money time.

Elite Val d’Oise (credits: Vanessa Broussier)

The Parisians are racing behind without ever being completely left behind, and vonnt reshuffle the cards 5 minutes from the end (27-30, 55 ′). With some Lucas Meyffret (7/7) and Armand Civil (7/10) sharp on the rear base, the Elite Val d’Oise remembered that there were 2 minutes left to play. In the last seconds, Frontignan leads by a but will, in defense, undergo a scenario very close to that which had been favorable to him a week earlier. FTHB captain Pedro Alves Delgado receives a red card, and the pivot Mehdi Ismaili Alaoui can release his own on the gong, concluding the heist after being led 60 minutes (32-32, 60 ′).

Cournon solid at home against the Wolves of Mulhouse-Rixheim

In Auvergne, Cournon confirmed his new status against Mulhouse-Rixheim and builds up confidence before the break, despite a legitimate disappointment. It is Brice Salignat who opens the score for the locals, in a match where the ex-Saranese again confirms his rapid integration into the collective. Enzo Pelissier is always brilliant to help his own while Canoine and Bocanegro feast on attack (17-11, 30 ′). But the setbacks of Mehdi Ighirri’s men are far from over: upon returning from the locker room, the Alsatians will continue to suffer the wrath of their opponent, well carried by the shots of Maxime Bouquet (7/10), until being led by 7 lengths (23-16, 38 ′).

Benoît Deghaud, Mulhouse-Rixheim (credits: Gwenaëlle MARTER)

And that’s when the machine stops. With a darko Cvetkovic little in sight and a non-aligned Loïc Gswhind, he is the coach David Lehmann who puts on the warming blue and will be intractable in his goals. 8 stops in 15 minutes, while the other coach Mehdi Ighirri struggles wonderfully to make his attack work. Result: a 9-0 lodges in the Dragons who find themselves in trouble at the end of the match (23-25, 50 ′). But Lukas Buchta’s men come back, Bouquet does not tremble over 7 meters, and the Auvergnats lead by 2 lengths to 40 seconds from the end (29-27, 59 ′). This handful of seconds will however be sufficient for Piningre then Deghaud not to equalize on the buzzer and to keep 1 point of this complicated movement (29-29, 60 ′).

These draws are naturally the business of Bordeaux Bruges-Lormont Handball, quiet winner ofAnnecy. The Haut-Savoyards, still deprived of their half-center, have struggled in recent days and have surpassed themselves from the first act under the blows of Karim Balti-Khader and Paul-Louis Guiraudou (18-11, 30 ′). And despite a good Quentin Scotto Di Pompeo (7/10), the Annecy ship takes water from scratch to tilt heavily (36-27, 60 ′).

Paul-Louis Guiraudou, Bordeaux Bruges-Lormont (credits: Handshoot)

Saintes raises her head in a beautiful manner

Although at home, we did not necessarily predict such a victory for Saintes, opposed to a team of Poitiers started thoroughly at the end of the year. But with an attacking trio at the top, with Axel Rosier, Adama Ouedraogo and Nemanja Grujicic Authors of 26 goals between them, it is a very offensive duel which commits to the benefit of the locals (19-15, 30 ′). Griffons are struggling to keep pace despite a good Florent Joli (8/11), and will explode in the money time (30-27, 48 ′; 40-33, 60 ′). The US thus returns to its opponent from the day before the break and can spend the holidays warm.

In Normandy, the reception of Pau Nousty a Gonfreville l’Orcher It was also shaping up to be a thrilling duel between two dangerous teams in the middle of the table. However, despite great resistance from visitors, it was the locals who strongly attracted the meeting. From the start, Ibrahima Diallo’s men announced the color with 5 saves from Clement Lambert in 10 minutes while Pierre Fitte-Duval (10/13) or Mathieu Diaz (7/12) participated in registering a 7-0 entry. Pau Nousty will race behind during the entire match (23-16, 46 ′), but will succeed in creating a ray of hope at the end of the match. With a trio Baptiste Bergerou, Adjiri Corcher and Alexandre Thiel (6 goals each), the visitors inflicted a 5-0 to return to the match (23-21, 53 ′). They will never pick up, however, and Gonfreville logically wins, on a gap that hides his stranglehold on the meeting (27-26, 60 ′).

Nolan Nolbas, Dreux-Vernouillet (credits: US Dreux-Vernouillet)

Finally, the PSG did not do in half measures on the side of the US Dreux-Vernouillet which will have entirely missed its first half of the season. With effective young people, lasting danger in all sectors, it is indeed the Parisians who take off at the end of the first act (15-21, 30 ′). And despite a Nolan nolbas (7/8) which floats again and a Enzo Jean-Louis (5/8) also effective, the Vernolitans are powerless and suffer the end of the encounter (26-35, 60 ′).

The first half of the championship ends like this before resuming on February 5. Note, however, the postponed meeting between Annecy and Frontignan, which will be played at Les Glaisins this Saturday, December 18.

Find the ranking and all the results of the N1 elite in the Results area!

Antoine Piollat