Toulouse and Chambéry took a big step towards Europe this Friday by winning far from their land. Paris won its 27th match against Saran, Saint-Raphaël crushed Limoges, and Nancy is still in the race to maintain with its great success over Chartres.

Montpellierbeaten by Nantes, is no longer the only fourth in the championship. Chambery has picked up again, and even passes in front with the particular difference, thanks to its success at Dunkirk (25-30). The Savoyards mastered the game from start to finish, always ahead in the score and never really worried by the Northerners. Ahead of five goals at the break (10-15, 30′) and ten goals less than a quarter of an hour from the end (17-27, 47′), Benjamin Richert’s partners (7 goals, best scorer of the match) delivered an impeccable performance which allowed them to get closer to Europe.

Toulouse was hot in Créteil, Saint-Raphaël remains in ambush

Erwin Feuchtmann (FENIX Toulouse HB)

The Chambériens keep three points ahead of Toulousewho knew how to take the two points with extreme accuracy Creteil (35-36). Led almost the entire game against efficient Cristoliens, the Toulouse survived thanks to their wingers Nemanja Ilic (10 goals) and Edouard Kempf (9 goals). Still ahead of three goals at the start of money time (33-30, 54′), Créteil cracked in the last four minutes, Balenciaga, Feuchtmann and Martins annihilating all Cristolian efforts to nothing in the last moments of the game. Toulouse emerges almost miraculously from this meeting and puts pressure on Nimes for Europe. The Nîmes are condemned to victory tomorrow, at home against Istres.

Especially since in eighth position, Saint-Raphael did not completely give up for the race for sixth place. The Varois did not do half measures against Limoges (38-29). Rares Fortuneanu’s men completely mastered the game, with an eleven-goal lead at the break (22-11, 30′). Opposite, Dragan Gajic, with his 14 goals, was a bit alone to counter the Raphaëloise surge.

Nancy can still believe it

Marc Leyvigne (Grand Nancy Métropole HB)

At the bottom of the ranking, Nancy breathe again. The Lorraine club, for several weeks, has signed an important success at home against Chartres (34-31). Benjamin Braux’s men were however badly embarked, Chartres making a big ename (6-11, 14 ′). But Nancy tightened her defense and reduced the gap before the break (17-19, 30′). A 5-0 return from the locker room (17-20, 31′; 22-20, 35′) shuffled the cards and put the Nancy in a strong position in the game. Led by Danijel Vukicevic (6 goals) and Marc Leyvigne (5 goals), the locals did not lose control, resisted the Chartres comeback fifteen minutes from time and managed the end of the match well to ensure a precious success.

Indeed, Nancy, with 9 points, is two points behind Istres, who is playing this Saturday in Nîmes, and three behind Saran, first not relegated. The Saranais logically lost this Friday at Paris (40-33). The club, already guaranteed to be French champions for several weeks, did not even give the Septors hope, taking a seven-goal lead before the quarter-hour mark (11-4, 14′). The Parisians had a lead of up to twelve goals (28-16, 40′) in a match dominated from start to finish. It is the 27th victory in 27 games for PSG, which is on track to achieve a clear round in the Starligue this season. Small consolation for the Saranese, it was one of their own, Matteo Fadhuile, who finished top scorer of the game (10 goals), ahead of Elohim Prandi (8 goals). Saran must quickly turn to the reception of Saint-Raphaël, next Wednesday.

MG