France – LFH Division 1, Women, Round 19

Chambray Touraine - Paris 92

13 Mar 2024, 20:00 CET

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Fifth against fourth: this announcement sets the stage for a shock to be officiated by the duo of brothers Raouf and Karim Gasmi, who have already graced the international stage at world championships and European tournaments, exemplifying the excellence of the French refereeing sector.

The home team, which has already secured central player Manon Grimaud for the next season, will attempt to catch up to the Parisians. In turn, the Parisian team is keen to conquer the "fontaine blanche" to remain (at least) close on the heels of Nantes, currently at the lowest step of the podium.

During the first leg of the match, the second of the D1 season played on September 3rd, the top scorers were Manon Haoutte for Chambray and Deborah Lassource for Paris 92. Eighteen games later, we find two Parisian players among the top 15 most consistent players of the championship: Meline Nocandy, ranking seventh, and Marie Prouvensier, at twelfth.

For the hosts, the eleven victories against only six defeats (and a single draw) offer hope for the team's top scorer, Nadia-Mielke Offendal, and her teammates in this fiery clash. The capital's players, on the other hand, boast thirteen three-point matches with 5 defeats. After a narrow one-goal victory at home in the last league match, Paris 92 is called upon for a tactical effort to avoid the risk experienced in the last sixty minutes. In that match, after a first half closed with a +5 lead (17-12), the score saw them only secure a final mark in the closing of the match against Besancon: 27-26.

The prediction remains open, with both teams having the potential to win or lose by approximately five goals difference.

Leo Stand

Tightennnnn ...

As previously announced, the match for Paris wouldn't be easy against Saint Amand. And we almost witnessed an upset from the northern side against Paris. However, the latter managed to secure a victory by just one goal in the final seconds. Another challenging encounter awaits them against Chambray. The fifth-placed team is hosting the fourth-placed team. Parisians need a win if they want to stay close to Nantes for the third position. Two of the best defenses in the championship are facing off. So, it should be a defensive and tightly contested match. Which attack will prevail?

The low and compact defense of Chambray should this time open up opportunities for long-range shots from Camila Micijevic. Meline Nocandy should therefore focus her game on setting up her backs in good shooting positions. Apart from Camila, the right back Janela Blonbou should have an advantage. With her long-range shots but close to the blockers, she should trouble the opposing goalkeeper with her wrist shots. Agathe Quiniou should thus find herself in difficulty. The attack has the tools to overpower the opposing defense.

On the other side of the field, we believe that Chambray's movement and continuity game might lack sharpness in its attack. Duelists are necessary against the lack of closures from the opponents. The Parisians are compact in the center but struggle to add the extra pass. The central defenders are thus isolated while their weaknesses lie in duels. Nadia Offendal and Lucie Modenel will thrive with their qualities in one-on-one situations. They should be sharp but won't repeat it consistently enough. Because it's not their playing style. Yet, there's no need for great continuity against the Parisians, just a few sharp combinations to create delays and unsettle the central defenders. So, in the long run, the defense of Paris 92 will gain the upper hand throughout this encounter.

Paris is therefore expected to win by around 29 to 27 in a tightly contested match.

Neptunes Nantes – Achenheim Truchtersheim

13 Mar 2024, 20:00 CET

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For the first round of the second half of the season, several matches are already crucial for both the top and bottom of the table.
This match is a very valid example: the home team needs to stay close to the leading group, spearheaded by Brest. Strasbourg, if not already resigned, is at least desperate at this point in the season.
Following a 32-27 home win in the last matchday against Dijon, Nantes faces the thirteenth-ranked team, Strasbourg, at home again.
For Nantes, the victorious match on February 24th was beneficial not only from a qualitative standpoint, with the 3 points gained, but also from a purely quantitative perspective: the captain and her teammates managed to exceed 25 goals in a challenging away game against Besançon, ranked eighth.
The defense implemented by the "Neptunes" was quite effective, with a convincing save percentage for the goalkeeper Andre.
Ondondo was 100% in attack with her 3 out of 3, in addition to delivering an excellent defensive performance in her role as the third central defender.
Other notable performances came from the wingers Dupuis and Vollebregt, who together scored 15 of Nantes' total 25 goals.
Now, against the thirteenth-ranked team in the championship, a solid and careful performance is expected from the 6-0 formation.
The goal is to keep up with the leaders of the table, where Brest and Metz are ahead by 8 and six points, respectively.
Strasbourg, on the other hand, aims to climb at least a bit up the table in a bid for survival, which would represent an almost miraculous achievement after their exceptional journey that took them to the pinnacle of professional women's handball in D1 in just three years, starting from the National 1 level and moving up from D2 last season.
Margaux Imhof and Dalila Abdesselem are the leading scorers for the Alsatian team, with 77 and 74 goals, respectively.
For a miraculous exploit, Léa Fargues, the visiting team's goalkeeper for Wednesday's match, will also need to deliver a stellar performance.
Therefore, 3 points seem likely for the hosts, who will surely aim to improve their "goal average" by exploiting the speed of their wingers in counterattacks after regaining possession in defense.

Leo Stand

Attack on the agenda

Nantes, currently in third place, must continue its performance to maintain its position. They currently hold a two- point lead over Paris 92, who are in fourth place. However, they have no hope of catching up to the two powerhouses ahead of them in the championship. The announced budget cut has led to a significant overhaul of the team. All major contracts have been terminated. However, reconstruction is necessary as Europe awaits next year. On the other hand, Strasbourg, despite being dynamic and ambitious behind the scenes, will have to fight until the last matchday to avoid relegation. Currently in the relegation zone, tied on points with Toulon, the task ahead is daunting. A weekend like this could be detrimental to their efforts. So, they must be careful not to fall too far behind. It will be necessary to achieve a feat at some point. Could it be against one of the most prolific attacks in the league?

Unfortunately, we don't think so for them. They are unlikely to contain the opposition's attack. Each Nantes player can be the top scorer of their team with at least 8 goals depending on the opposing tactical choices. This weekend, it was Marine Dupuis with her 10 goals. The left winger dominated against her former team. The weekend before, it was Tamara Horacek with her 7 goals. What about this Wednesday? It should be Hélène Fauske and Lena Grandveau. Against this weak defense in one-on-one situations, they are expected to excel. The speed of the ball will unsettle the opposing defenders like Nora Fontaine. This imbalance will be naturally exploited, especially by the aforementioned players. Nantes should therefore score more than 35 goals again.

And it's not Strasbourg's attack that will make up for it. On the contrary, their slightly static play, forced throughout the match with the pivot, will allow Nantes to regain possession and exploit counterattacks through Marine Dupuis. Certainly, Margaux Imhoff should be the top scorer for her team, but she is only expected to assist her teammates in scoring 25 goals.
There is no doubt that Nantes will dominate this Wednesday. We expect a comprehensive and prolific victory for Nantes. They could thus take a 4-point lead over the Parisians, who once again face a tough match against Chambray.

Cercle Dijon – Metz

13 Mar 2024, 20:00 CET

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Burgundy against Lorraine, mustard against quiche.
Second versus seventh: five wins out of five, compared to just two wins and a draw in the same period for the other team.
Bouktit and Valentini are the names of the most prolific attacking duo in the league, playing for Metz. They boast the highest goal conversion rates in terms of shots/goals: 77.17% and 75.17% respectively.
For Dijon, the deficit of five goals conceded in the away match on February 24th, the last game played, forces the team led by Anthony Fevier (who took over at the beginning of February from Cristophe Mazel) to seek a significant victory to pull away from their seventh-place roommates: Handball Plan de Cuques, which currently has a better goal difference.
Sarah Valero Jodar, the pivot, is the most representative player of her team with 58 goals this season, the same as her teammate Nina Dury (left wing), who, however, played two fewer games: 16 versus 18.
For them and their teammates, the next hour of play will also be an opportunity to turn this season around: currently at 7 wins, the same number of losses, and four draws.
A victory for the home team seems the most logical outcome.

Leo Stand

To show in schools

Dijon, who recently scored 36 goals against Stella, faces Metz, who scored 42 against Toulon. The Metz team boasts the best offense and defense in the championship, by far. With an average of 37.1 goals per game, they outshine Nantes, averaging 32.3 goals per game. This indicates a significant gap between their offensive prowess and the rest of the league. Even Brest, who is in second place, only averages 31.2 goals per game.

In defense, Metz concedes an average of 21.8 goals per game, leading ahead of Brest with 23.6 goals conceded. Despite this, they are second with only one loss against Brest. It's evident that they dominate the championship in all areas of play. However, they might not necessarily be the champions this time. Their focus is understandably on May 8th, which marks the championship's return leg with Metz traveling to Brest for their rematch. To secure the title on that day, they need to continue their flawless performance. However, they face a promising opponent in Dijon, where the offensive collective quality is acknowledged by all. Their style is based on duels accompanied by strategic reading of the game, making it highly enjoyable for spectators and handball enthusiasts. While their collective play resembles that of Metz, their individual qualities are inferior. Dijon should be proud of their players. Currently seventh, they might aim to secure the fifth place from Chambray.

However, the match is not expected to be surprising. We anticipate Metz facing more challenges than usual, especially defensively. This naturally leads to fewer counterattacks for players like Chloé Bouquet and Lucie Granier, who have a low turnover rate. Consequently, Dijon should score more goals than usual against Metz and, by extension, concede fewer. Metz is likely to emerge victorious once again, but with a scoreline around 36 to 29. Therefore, if you love handball, don't hesitate to watch and enjoy this match. It's a great showcase for the LFH (League Female of Handball).

Plan de Cuques – ESBF Besancon

13 Mar 2024, 20:30 CET

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"Les guerrières," now steadily in the first division of French women's handball for three years, currently find themselves in sixth place. Like other mid-table teams, they have a balanced record of 9 wins and a draw.
Besançon occupies the eighth spot with 7 wins, 2 draws, and 9 losses.
After the first leg ended with a standout performance from Clarisse Mariot, who led her team to a 29-27 victory with thirteen goals, this return match will likely focus on defenses, a critical point of differentiation and now a priority in converting the opposition's actions into swift counterattacks.
In French women's handball, indeed, ball circulation has become one of the weaknesses most exploited by opposing defenses. Whether it's a 6-0, 5-1, or other defensive setups, intercepting the ball for a transition in a few passes through the most effective trajectories is indeed the most important weapon in professional performances.
As for the Besançon Sports Association, another quality performance is expected from left-handed and right-wing Sabrina Zazai-Ozil. Born in '94, she is the finisher for her team's fast counterattacks, as well as a strong one-on-one player.
The match outcome remains uncertain, likely with a not too significant margin in favor of the winning team.

Leo Stand

Tactical defensive play

Besançon has the means to catch up with their opponents tonight. However, to do so, they must find the key against Plan de Cuques in their home ground, which won't be easy. Plan de Cuques suffered a significant setback last weekend against Nice, losing 29-21. With no time to hesitate in three days, there's a strong desire to bounce back. Facing them is Besançon, who, despite coming off an impressive performance against Paris 92, couldn't replicate it but managed to limit Nantes to just 25 goals. Sébastien Mizoule once again found the keys to disrupt the opposing attack. His team possesses genuine defensive mobility, enabling them to create various defensive orientations. However, they struggle to contain the wingers, as highlighted by Marine Dupuis's excellent performance against her former teammates. Now, they must find a way to counter the Provence attack and slow down their ball speed.

However, what Sabrina Zazai's teammates will be aiming for is to minimize the impact of Daphné Gautschi, the left back. They need to both close down to prevent her long-range shots and, more importantly, deny her the outer gap. This will require a combined effort from Mairot and Sabrina Zazai in position 1. We believe that the Besançon defense will succeed in this aspect but will still leave opportunities for the wingers. Justine Martel on the right wing and Aurélie Goubel on the left wing should be their team's top scorers.

But on the other hand, and this is where the game will be decided, we don't see the Plan de Cuques defense managing to contain the impact of the opponent's duelists, at least not consistently. First, Clarisse Mairot, then Pauline Robert, and Alizée Frecon-Demouges will torment Elizabet Chavez. And if it's not them, Juliette Mairot, the younger sister, will also come to deliver blows against the opposing central defense. Each in their own style, some more powerful, others faster, some stronger. Therefore, we believe they will break through this defense. They should manage to reach around 30 goals.
Besançon is expected to pull off a significant victory and win in Provence by 3 or 4 goals. This would bring them level on points with their opponents tonight.

SAHBPH – Brest Bretagne

13 Mar 2024, 19:30 CET

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An away game for the Breton team, the leaders of this season, with Coach Pablo Morel's team increasingly geared towards the championship goal.
After welcoming back their international and Olympic champion goalkeeper, Cléopatre Darleux, who was injured due to a concussion and has been out since February 11, 2023, the Finistère players have a single objective for this upcoming Wednesday.
The defensive gameplay of the 2021 reigning champions, based on a 6-0 system with systematic advancements on the ball carrier and aimed at protecting the goal, has so far been fruitful, both nationally and internationally: domestically, a clean sweep of 18 victories, securing 100% of the points available in the matches faced.
Valeria Maslova, Paoletta Foppa, and Alicia Toublanc are the key players for the leaders, with respective goal tallies of 82, 75, and 65.
On the other side, for Saint Amand, Pascoal Stelvia de Jesus stands out with an impressive score of 95 goals. Behind her in the host team's scoring for Wednesday's match are Louison Boisorieux with 77 goals and Nicoline Lundgreen, who has netted 68 times this season.
A comfortable victory for Brest is likely.

Leo Stand

A rocky road?

If they want to win the championship, the Brest team must not ease off the pressure. A single misstep and Metz will take the lead again. In their last match against Mérignac, which they mastered with a 37-30 victory, they slightly eased off the defensive engagement. This was done without much worry, but it shouldn't become a habit. They are the second-best defense in the championship and cannot afford to let their guard down. This time, they travel north to Saint Amand. Saint Amand, who nearly pulled off an upset against Paris, suffered a cruel defeat by just one goal. They were troubled in the first half but gradually clawed back their deficit to equalize before being narrowly defeated. They have a lot of regrets and are still two points above relegation. Therefore, they must not lose focus.

Saint Amand possesses genuine offensive weapons to exploit Brest's defensive weaknesses, particularly Pauletta Foppa's struggles in duels. In this match, she is likely to be targeted considerably by all the northern players in duels. Louison

Boisorieux, with her very low center of gravity, is expected to be one of the top scorers in this match. If the defense believes it can flatten against her size, her shooting abilities allow her to exploit such situations.
However, they'll need to break through Cleopatre Darleux. It's a delight to see her back on the courts. She entered the game for a few minutes against Mérignac to get back into the swing of things. She will undoubtedly help her team maintain their flawless record before the rematch against Metz. With three top-level goalkeepers, Brest's defensive efficiency will be even higher, starting this Wednesday. Although Saint Amand is likely to find offensive solutions, they might find it difficult to score against one of the two goalkeepers present.

Pablo Morel will need to manage the situation well with three very high-level goalkeepers. For now, he has chosen to keep the two experienced ones, Julie Foggea and Cleopatre. Therefore, there's a need to ensure that the abundance of talent does not affect each player's commitment.
However, concerning the attack, Saint Amand's defense won't be able to compete. The danger is everywhere, sometimes even on the bench. The entire squad has undeniable offensive qualities. Therefore, depending on Saint Amand's choices, Brest will find solutions, and these solutions will be everywhere. Defensive apathy allows opposing teams to deploy their game as they desire.

Brest is expected to face defensive challenges but still emerge victorious with control. The score could be around 38-34.

Toulon Métropole – Merignac Handball

13 Mar 2024, 19:30 CET

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The most crucial relegation battle of this nineteenth day of the championship will unfold with Toulon's rebels having secured full points only 4 times this season, losing on the other fourteen occasions they took to the field.
Similarly, for Mérignac, their supporters have celebrated victories only four times after seeing the electronic scoreboard declare the Toulonese winners.
The first leg ended 33-30, where the hosts from Nouvelle-Aquitaine led throughout the game without ever being overtaken in the score, except for some phases of equality at the start of the match.
Nele Antonissen for Toulon and Manon Lachaize of Mérignac, both with 8 goals in the first leg, are eagerly anticipated by the opposing defenses. Both clubs are desperate to avoid a defeat that would keep them in the most dangerous part of the D1 2023-2024 table.

Leo Stand

Tense match

A match that could be decisive for the survival. Toulon, second and tied on points with the first team in the relegation zone, faces Mérignac, one point above and therefore eleventh. Toulon has suffered six consecutive losses while Mérignac is on a streak of five consecutive defeats. Suffice it to say, the current context isn't positive. Yet, both teams must lift their heads in this match if either wants to move away from the relegation zone. In their previous encounter, Mérignac won 33- 30 on their home turf. This sets the stage for a particular context where both teams will be under pressure. Additionally, for Toulon, winning by four goals is necessary to regain the head-to-head goal difference against their direct competitor. Needless to say, tension will be in the air. Beware the losers, even if Strasbourg hasn't been winning either. The winning team should gain an advantage over their competitors. This match features the two weakest defenses in the championship, both conceding over 32 goals on average per game. Therefore, the match could be very open.

As has been reiterated, Toulon's players regularly lose their defensive duels. Joel Da Silva's decision to defend woman-to- woman often keeps them apart, reducing the possibility of mutual assistance. While this could be an interesting defensive strategy if his players were effective in duels, unfortunately, that's not the case. Therefore, it's likely that Nele Antonissen will continue her impressive performance, regularly scoring over 7 goals per match, especially against this defense. However, can she win the match alone? She will likely need support from the very young back player Melissa Chantelly, who has been very effective in recent outings, scoring 6, 6, and 4 goals in her last matches at just 17 years old. These two players are expected to be the top scorers and help Mérignac surpass 30 goals. However, can they limit Toulon to 30 goals as they did in their previous encounter?

It's uncertain because Toulon's offensive moves are sharp, which helps distribute the scoring among the team. While they lack big stars, their game exploits each player's strengths. However, their defensive performance is not as strong. If Elise Skinnehaugen's absence continues, it could pose problems for Toulon, even if she is adequately replaced offensively by Beatriz Sousa. However, Sousa struggles more defensively than her teammates, making it difficult to play her on the opposite side of the bench. It's a puzzle for Joel Da Silva. Toulon is also expected to score around 30 goals.

However, their defensive intentions, unlike their opponents Mérignac, could work in their favor. Therefore, we see Toulon winning this match by utilizing the few defensive turnovers they manage to get and capitalizing on fast breaks. And this could play around the four-goal margin for the goal difference.

Stella Saint Maur – OGC Nice

13 Mar 2024, 20:30 CET

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At the bottom of the table with 23 points and almost certainly doomed to relegation, the "Stars" of St. Maur await the team from Nice.
Both teams have conceded more than 500 goals this season, but the difference in their league standings is significantly influenced by the 86-goal gap in their offensive output: 407 goals for the hosts versus 493 for the team from the Côte d'Azur.
This match also features the team that has won only twice this season (St. Maur, with one draw and fifteen defeats) against a team whose top scorers are all from abroad.
Slovakia, Egypt, and Senegal: Adriana Holejova, Ehsan Abdelmalek, Raissa Dapina are the top scorers, with 72, 69, and 63 goals respectively.
The nine-goal margin in the first leg for the team closer to Italy, after ending the first half with a four-goal lead (36-27 and 20-16), highlights a lack of cohesion in the last-placed team compared to the red and blacks.
In the world of high-level handball, there's a pressing need for two players of the same qualitative scoring standard in attack. Similarly, for the construction of a defensive game plan focused on a defensive structure that can evolve into two different setups based on the characteristics of the opposing attacks.
This is one of the differences that suggest a possible victory for the visitors by at least a five-goal margin.

Leo Stand

Like an offensive worry

Nice is on a good momentum after their convincing victory against Plan de Cuques, 29-21. They are currently ninth and have just achieved three consecutive wins. They were in great danger in January but have since turned things around. Their defense has regained its dominance over their opponents. Ahead of them lies a trip to face the bottom team of the championship, Stella Saint-Maur. The weakest attack in the championship has struggled immensely to find solutions against Dijon, losing 36-19. When Mathilde Plotton doesn't exceed 5 goals, the team rarely surpasses the 20-goal mark.

Against the cohesive defense of Nice, Stella will find it difficult to find solutions. They should try to exploit opportunities on the wings, but that's where the problem lies. The wingers consistently have less than 50% success rate. Marija Colic, the Nice goalkeeper, is expected to outperform the opposing shooters. It's conceivable that Saint-Maur will be limited to 20 goals in this match.

On the other hand, the young Slovakian right-back, Adriana Holejova, is increasingly making her mark. With her speed, she finds more and more solutions. Additionally, she is an excellent passer. Therefore, it's natural that the right-wing Raissa Dapina, the Senegalese international, finds many opportunities on her wing. With a right-handed right-back, the relationship is naturally facilitated. The right side of Nice's attack is currently difficult to defend against. And facing Stella's number 1 players parallel to their zone, the passing angles will be even easier to find. No doubt these two players will again be the top scorers for their team. Nice is expected to score more than 26 goals.

Therefore, we anticipate an easy victory for Nice with a score around 26-20.