Toulouse achieves the feat against PSG, Nantes takes the opportunity to take the lead
Mathieu WARNIER, Media365, published on Sunday September 25, 2022 at 6:29 p.m.
Undefeated in the Liqui Moly StarLigue since April 2021, PSG Handball fell on the Toulouse floor. Nantes, winner of Ivry, takes advantage of this and now finds itself the sole leader of the classification.
It’s a real feat that Toulouse achieved this Sunday. Untouchable last season and not having known defeat in the league since April 2021, PSG Handball lost on the Fenix floor as part of the 3rd day of Liqui Moly StarLigue. A meeting that Danijel Andjelkovic’s players executed in the best possible way. Thanks to the interventions of Jef Lettens (16 saves at 40% efficiency) and the precision of Erik Balenciaga (8 goals from 8 shots) in attack, the Toulouse team immediately took control on the scoreboard. A 5-1 led by Nemanja Ilic (9 goals on 9 shots) confirmed the ascendancy taken by the Fenix, who were able to count six lengths ahead after a quarter of an hour of play. The Parisian answer is coming from Luc Steins (3 goals on 7 shots) and Dainis Kristopans (7 goals on 12 shots), who brought the club from the Capital to two lengths. But it took more to cast doubt on Toulouse, which was able to take the lead by four lengths at halftime.
PSG were absolutely not there
Raul Gonzalez Gutierrez then decided to launch Jannik Green (8 saves at 32% efficiency) in the goal instead of a struggling Andreas Palicka (3 saves at 17% efficiency). The Danish goalkeeper did a marvel at the start of the second half, allowing PSG to come within four lengths, but the Fenix players adapted very quickly. At the start of the last quarter of an hour, the Toulousains gave a big boost with a 5-1 in five minutes which, in addition to giving them the trifle of nine lengths in advance, sealed the fate of the encounter. Despite the commitment of Kamil Syprzak (7 goals on 8 shots), PSG Handball has never been able to believe in victory in a match during which the Parisian club simply never led in the score. Toulouse won in the final by eight goals (35-27) and moved into second place in the standings when PSG Handball fell to fifth place, now two points behind the sole leader.
Nantes takes control
This chef is Nantes! Now the only team still undefeated, the “H” took the best of Ivry. A meeting that Aymeric Minne’s teammates (4 goals on 5 shots) launched with a 4-0 which set the tone but the Ile-de-France residents were not helpless. Under the impetus of Milos Bozovic (4 goals on 8 shots), the USI came back to score to even pass in front of the quarter of an hour of play. It took an almost perfect end to the first period, with in particular an 8- 1 in seven minutes, for Nantes to take the lead by five lengths at the break. Having the feeling of having something to play for, the Ile-de-France residents threw themselves into the battle, managing to come back to two lengths with just over 20 minutes from the end of the meeting. However, Kauldi Odriozola’s teammates (6 goals from 8 shots) kept the game tight to keep their opponents at bay and take advantage of the last minutes to widen a gap which reached seven units. Nantes won by a margin of five goals (33-28) and took control of the Liqui Moly StarLigue standings at the end of this third day.
HANDBALL – LIQUI MOLY STARLIGUE / 3RD DAY
Friday, September 23, 2022
Istre- Limoges : 33-34
Montpellier – Cesson-Rennes: 24-20
Nimes – Saint-Raphael: 35-30
Creteil – Chartres: 40-38
Selestat – Aix en Provence : 26-29
Saturday September 24, 2022
Chambery – Dunkirk: 30-27
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Nantes – Ivry: 33-28
Toulouse – PSG Handball: 35-27