France - LNH Proligue, Round 28

ANGERS SCO HANDBALL VS MASSY ESSONNE HB
26/04/2024 - 8:30 PM

This is the end...
Things are settled on the relegation front following Massy's victory over Caen. They were trailing by 5 goals with 10 minutes to go but eventually won 36-35 with a buzzer-beater. This win secures their safety, although not mathematically yet. Angers remains 5 points behind Caen and Massy, with 3 games left to play. It would require a flawless run from Angers, who haven't won in 17 matches since November 10th. It's hard to believe they can turn things around, especially facing a confident Massy team ready to bury them. Their final match against Tremblay, the powerhouse of the league, adds to their challenges. Angers has mentally checked out for weeks, allowing their right-back Ahmed Abdelak to return to Qatar to finish the season, as he did last year. This arrangement may be puzzling and difficult to accept when relegation is looming. Now, opportunities are given to young players to gain experience. Thomas Sorin, son of Angers' former prominent coach, emerges, showcasing his shooting skills. This illustrates Angers' sporting surrender. However, their financial stability, built through ties with football and SCO, should secure their survival once again, despite significant squad changes expected.

The season is likely to end without much excitement, except for Swan Lemarié, who is retiring. Apart from him, hopes are slim. Massy is expected to win comfortably, around 32-30. They will likely secure their spot in Proligue, while hopefully, their finances allow them to stay at this level, unlike clubs like Frontignan, facing greater danger.

GRAND BESANÇON DOUBS HANDBALL VS SARREBOURG MOSELLE SUD HANDBAL - 26/04/2024 - 8:30 PM

A duel of goalkeepers?
Besançon is clinging to the playoff race. They have just delivered a solid performance with a 29-24 victory against Sélestat. However, they are still two points behind Frontignan, the qualifying position. With three games left, it's entirely possible. To kick off, they face Sarrebourg, who have slightly dipped in intensity with 3 losses in 4 matches. As expected, they struggled in their last match against Cherbourg, where the wingers barely made an impact, scoring only two goals in the entire match and falling prey to Nicolas Gauthier. Against Besançon, things might not get easier, especially with Dmitrii Kholmov boasting a 30% save rate and averaging 10 saves per match.

We expect a similar scenario to the Cherbourg match. Marius Randriantseheno should continue to shine and surpass 6 goals, supported by his backcourt players. However, they might face challenges in the line and wing positions. Facing the robust

Besançon defense, we may frequently see Jordan Yamdjeu, the pivot, taking shooting opportunities. The depth of the defense will provide him ample space underneath. However, he could struggle against the outstanding goalkeeper, who excels in close- range situations and skillfully engages with opponents. Besançon should therefore control the Sarrebourg attack.
But they need to replicate their brilliance from the previous week. They will once again rely on Lucas Jametal, who is expanding his range of play and becoming increasingly effective in shooting through the defense, in addition to his devastating duels. However, the ankle injury to Martin Petiot could affect their balance and create a different dynamic in goal. Besançon boasts the third-best goalkeeper in the league, but Sarrebourg has the second-best with Hugo Kriszt, who also averages 10 saves per match. Kriszt might be more comfortable against the likes of Lucas Jametal and especially Luka Brkljacic, who could face difficulties.

The real difference should come from the Besançon defense and their ability to transition into attack, especially with Mathis Beauchef on the right wing. Besançon should therefore emerge victorious with a score around 30-27. This win would continue to keep the pressure on Frontignan for the playoffs.

JS CHERBOURGEOISE MANCHE HB VS VALENCE HB
26/04/2024 - 8:30 PM

Factor X
Cherbourg would like to secure home advantage for the playoff second leg match. They have just secured a win at Sarrebourg, a place where it's never easy to come out on top. However, they still need to recover two points from their predecessors. And what better opportunity than facing Valence to gain those points? Not really, Valence is always extremely difficult to play against. They have just lost to Tremblay, who consistently demonstrate offensive prowess every weekend.
The game is expected to revolve around Cherbourg's defense and goalkeeper, who consistently unsettle their opponents. Especially as Valence lacks technical quality in shooting to really outsmart Nicolas Gauthier.

But what we believe could be a game-changer for the end of the season in Cherbourg is the young left-back Dayann Lopez. At just 19 years old, he has excelled in his last two outings, scoring four goals in the first match and seven in the second. He possesses incredible explosiveness with fiery footwork. He's a small but dynamic player who can win his duels against most opposing defenders. The only real downside at the moment is that he needs to analyze when to use his solutions wisely and not do so randomly. But there's no doubt that Edu Fernandez will continue to develop and mold him into a key player for his squad next year.

Additionally, Nicolas Bono brings a mastery of the game, knowing exactly how to involve his teammates.
Cherbourg should therefore emerge victorious in a tight and closely contested match. The score could be around 28-26.


HANDBALL CLUB COURNON D’AUVERGNE VS CAEN HANDBALL 27/04/2024 - 8:30 PM

Keeping Caen in business?
Caen must be feeling a great deal of regret after their defeat to Massy. Not only because they were ahead by 5 goals with 10 minutes to go, but also because they equalized with just 8 seconds left, only to concede the winning goal immediately afterward on a quick restart. They quite literally handed the points to Massy on a silver platter. Consequently, they still need a victory to secure their survival mathematically, and they hope to achieve it this Saturday against Cournon.
Cournon, who had a weekend off previously, had beaten Istres at home the weekend before, reigniting a dynamic that had faltered in the middle of the season.

For us, the outcome of this matchup largely depends on the return of Mateo Grosjean. The diminutive right-back from Auvergne had been injured the previous weekend. His presence would provide many options against the mobility weaknesses of Jordan Allais, who finds himself defending against him. However, if he remains absent, the trio of right-handed players will mask Caen's defensive weaknesses. Nevertheless, we are betting heavily on his presence. He will help his teammates score over 30 goals in this match, and the pride of Laurent Lagier Pitre will make him very sharp against his former club.

But where Caen will have the advantage is in fast play, with the rapid breakthroughs of Emilien Deschamps. The right-back executes quick restarts at an impressive speed, and Cournon will not have the means to stop him because too many attackers are weak defensively, and vice versa.

This is likely how Caen will secure their survival by obtaining a precious victory in Auvergne. The scoreline should be around 35-32 against a team that may have lost rhythm due to the previous weekend. Caen would then be officially safe from relegation.

FRONTIGNAN THAU HANDBALL VS BILLERE HANDBALL PAU PYRÉNÉES - 26/04/2024 - 8:30 PM

Numerical superiority?
Here are two teams that ended with a draw the previous weekend. Billere drew at home against Pontault. It was an incredible scenario because Billere was leading 30-24 in the 51st minute before a lifesaving timeout by Guillaume Saurina. As an anecdote, he could have also caused his team to lose by hitting the bench 20 seconds before the end of the match and being excluded. But Billere failed to score for 10 minutes despite having some obvious solutions from 6 meters.
Frontignan, on the other hand, obtained a good draw away at Istres. They still need to win to maintain their qualification for the playoffs. With a two-point lead over Besançon, they are in a good position, but they must not make any mistakes in the remaining 3 matches.

And it all starts with hosting Billere. That is, the second-best attack in the championship against the second-best defense in the championship. Everything will be decided in this area. And we believe that Billere has the ability to control pivot Adria Leon, who is in great form at the moment. However, they may allow more shots from long range, but they are rare on Frontignan's side. Only Guenole Gaillard can take responsibility from afar. Otherwise, all the other players tend to want to finish from 6 meters. But against Billere, it can be very painful to finish too close in every sense of the word. They are physically very committed and help each other a lot in the axis. Unless they receive many sanctions, the Palois should limit the Héraultais to a maximum of 30 goals.

This will open the door to a very dynamic attack around Valentin Doudeau. So for us, the match will depend on whether or not there are sanctions during this match. If they play cleanly, the match should turn in their favor. Therefore, we would see Billere winning by around 33-30. However, if things go wrong, the score would be reversed.

PONTAULT-COMBAULT HANDBALL VS ISTRES PROVENCE HANDBALL - 26/04/2024 - 8:30 PM

We're asking for passion
The second match features teams that ended with draws the previous weekend. As mentioned earlier, the result is especially positive for Pontault. This match is crucial for securing a direct spot in the final four. Pontault is two points behind Istres but defeated them in the first leg with a score of 32-30. If the Parisians win, they will move ahead in the head-to-head goal difference. This would avoid two playoff matches that could deplete their reserves. Needless to say, it's a crucial match to have the advantage in the final four and aim for promotion to the Starligue. On the other hand, if Istres wins, they will soar towards the second place and only need to prepare for the decisive weekend against Sélestat.

On Friday, we have a clash between a team that plays with heart, passion, and energy, and a team that relies on its strengths, physical power, and sometimes appears nonchalant. Pontault has proven their resilience, coming back from a six-goal deficit in

just eight minutes when the game seemed almost decided. They play with emotion, so much so that their coach, Guillaume Saurina, could have cost his team the match by being excluded with just 20 seconds left. They have quality players, but they put in the effort to make it a successful season, even though they have been struggling more recently.
Meanwhile, Istres players make little effort. Despite having the quality in their squad to have a successful season like Tremblay, their commitment seems lacking. They play in a laid-back manner, which reflects in their results. This is why they struggled throughout the season to build significant leads. Toke Schroder is a shadow of his former self, delivering sporadic performances. It all depends on his mood. Therefore, Istres' fate is at the whim of their players' commitment. Only Thibaut Arteaga consistently maintains a certain level of engagement because it's part of his DNA and his game. Matt Lafleur also brought passion before his unfortunate injury.

Predicting Istres' matches is always difficult. Their individual qualities suggest they can win any weekend, but their lack of passion means they can lose to anyone. However, this weekend, in pursuit of securing a direct spot in the final four, they should put in a bit more effort. Therefore, we believe Istres should win by a few goals or at least secure a draw. This will solidify their second-place position, which they should maintain until the end of the season.

SÉLESTAT ALSACE HANDBALL VS NANCY HANDBALL
26/04/2024 - 8:30 PM

Thanks to the speed
At the moment, it's a win-loss pattern for Sélestat. They always alternate between a victory and a defeat. The last match was a hopeless loss against Besançon, where they were dominated by the opposing goalkeeper. On the other hand, Nancy is performing better and, aside from their defeat against Tremblay, they have won three out of their last four matches. However, they don't have much left to play for in this championship, except to finish in the top half of the table.

Sélestat would like to hold onto their position, which would allow them to host the return leg of the playoffs. They have a history of performing well in playoffs, as they demonstrated two years ago when they surprised everyone and earned promotion to the Starligue. However, the youthfulness of the Sélestat team makes their game inconsistent. Despite this, coach Laurent Busselier is trying new strategies, such as pushing the goalkeeper up during the final stages of the fast break to create an overload situation and gain more attacking options through blocks from players like Tom Vinatier. However, this approach sometimes limits their forward momentum, and players like Tanguy Thomas are less involved in counter-attacks. Thomas, who will join his former coach at Besançon next season, will no longer be part of the Sélestat team.

It's somewhat frustrating not to see the youthful Sélestat team fully committing to attacking play. However, against Nancy, such an approach could be beneficial.

Therefore, we expect a surprise because Nancy is in better form and transitions quickly. They should easily score over 30 goals again. In organized attacks, the wings are given freedom because the Swedish goalkeeper of Sélestat is very effective. However, against Nancy, they face players with great technical quality. Yann Ducreux on the left wing and Marc Leyvigne on the right wing should be the top scorers in this match, along with Rohnan Conte Prat, who will score most of his goals in fast breaks.

We anticipate a victory for Nancy with a scoreline around 32-28. Sélestat will have to wait for other results to ensure their place in the league.