France - LNH Proligue, Round 29

ANGERS SCO HANDBALL VS HANDBALL CLUB COURNON D’AUVERGNE 03/05/ 2024 - 8:30 PM

Goodbye Proligue?
Angers no longer has any hopes with two games left after their defeat against Massy. They will most likely finish just above the bottom, ahead of Villeurbanne, which filed for bankruptcy quite early in the season. They now only have to work behind the scenes to maintain themselves with sustainable accounts. Now that they are assured of this position, they can play again without pressure. Perhaps being relieved will allow them to finally find victory again. Just a reminder, they haven't experienced it since November 10th. An eternity indeed. It would be a good opportunity to celebrate their fans who have often traveled this year to this magnificent Haras hall. One last match at home before heading to the top-ranked Tremblay. It's certainly their last chance to enjoy themselves together and finally deliver a good performance not marred by turnovers. And with less tension, Issam Tej might slightly ease the pressure he puts on the players. That's why we think they can win by finally playing more relaxed. The burden will finally be lighter to bear.

And this will be against Cournon, who also has nothing to play for except a decent position in the standings. They could still finish tenth, which would be very good for a first season at this level. It would help their sales team work towards next season. But the small-sized Angevin players should, thanks to their agility, manage to beat a compact but somewhat heavy defense. They could find many solutions between the number 2 and number 3 positions around crosses. Swan Lemarié, playing his last minutes perhaps on a handball court, should end up as the top scorer for his team. His shots with a neat wrist finish and his speed will allow him to do so.

So finally, without pressure, Angers should win their last match in front of their fans. This would slightly lift everyone's spirits in the Haras stands. Cournon, on the other hand, will seek an honorable place in their last match against Billere.


BILLERE HANDBALL PAU PYRÉNÉES VS SÉLESTAT ALSACE HANDBALL 04/05/2024 - 3:45PM
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Seemingly, Sélestat is quite unpredictable. They always alternate between hot and cold streaks. A win, then a loss, followed by a win, then another loss. That's been their pattern for the past 6 matches now. They're coming off a solid 40-32 victory against Nancy, so if we follow this pattern, they should stumble against Billere. The latter narrowly missed out on victory at Frontignan, thanks to a buzzer-beater by Alexandre Ayhan after a well-timed timeout. It was heartbreaking after a match where they had all the necessary ingredients. However, with this defeat, they are now winless in their last 4 matches. The last two matches saw them dropping points to their opponents. Just a reminder, they went scoreless for 8 minutes against Pontault Combault, despite leading by 6 goals. Needless to say, morale will be low after two such scenarios.

But returning home might help them regain their footing. Predicting this match will still be difficult because Billere has nothing left to play for, while Sélestat hopes to maintain their fourth place. Two completely opposite motivations, but it all depends on the commitment of the teams who can now play without pressure. This can either be very beneficial or very painful.
However, at home, the Pau team should get the job done, possibly to celebrate the end of Jérémy Vergely's career. He came out of retirement to help his friends achieve a successful season and might now be looking forward to some rest. As a symbol of the Billere team, he deserves a proper send-off. But perhaps he wants to play again with his former partner Arnaud Tabarand, who will return next year. In any case, the game will revolve around their connections with their pivots. Valentin Doudeau should still find them regularly, especially against Sélestat's defense, which struggles in those areas.

Jérémy and his teammate Alexandre Aguilar could thus be among the top scorers for their team. This should lead Billere to victory with a scoreline around 33-30. Tom Vinatier will continue his work in Sélestat's attack, but he might find himself a bit isolated this time.


CAEN HANDBALL VS TREMBLAY-EN-FRANCE HANDBALL
02/05/ 2024 - 8:30PM

A handball festival
Caen is finishing their season in style. While they were struggling just a few weeks ago, they are now 12th with 18 points and aiming for a top-ten finish at the expense of Sarrebourg. They have just secured their fourth victory in five matches. This time, they face the giant of the championship, Tremblay. For their final match in their new sports palace, it will be a celebration of handball in Normandy, thanks to the opponents as well. Tremblay, who have been delivering impressive offensive performances, had a rest last weekend, which may have disrupted their rhythm.

Therefore, Caen should come in full of confidence, injecting a lot of pace into the game, especially through Emilien Deschamps. They should logically be ahead at halftime. However, Tremblay will unlock their machine as the match progresses, ultimately making a significant offensive difference. It should be the match for Thibault Garaudet and Matteo Fadhuile, the two extremely fast small center-backs in their movements. Jordan Allais and Gautier Crepel may struggle. Their lack of pace should result in them consistently losing their duels and thus being overrun in the center.

The steamroller will be in motion. Tremblay should score more than twenty goals in the second half to ultimately win comfortably. It will take them a half to get back into rhythm.

Tremblay will then only have to finish in style on the final day against Angers. But for this Thursday, the spectators will get their money's worth. The sports palace will witness plenty of goals, and Tremblay should prevail 40-35. Handball will be the highlight, and supporters will eagerly await the next promising season.


MASSY ESSONNE HB VS JS CHERBOURGEOISE MANCHE HB 03/05/2024 - 8:30 PM


How to attack?
Massy is finally safe. Their victory against Angers secured their maintenance. However, this victory was not easily achieved. Trailing for most of the game, they gradually clawed their way back and eventually won by one goal with 30 seconds left, thanks to a goal from Thibaut Chevalier. They face Cherbourg, who had an interesting match themselves. Quickly taking the lead by up to 10 goals, Cherbourg eased off and allowed Valence to slowly come back. Nevertheless, they managed to maintain their lead and ultimately won by a narrow margin. They have officially secured their spot in the playoffs. They are currently slated to face Sélestat, but they must maintain their position. Otherwise, it will be Istres or Pontault. The victory against Massy is therefore crucial. However, they will need to play better than they did against Valence. They fell into the opposing team's slow pace. Additionally, there are currently several minor injuries to contend with. David Estepa, for instance, was forced off after just 5 minutes last weekend due to a head injury. He's replacing Andry Goujon Bellevue, who is already out until the end of the season. However, Nicolas Gauthier continues to lead his team in goal. He stopped three penalties in the last game and is in total confidence at the moment, likely to neutralize Massy's left wingers. Although the young Gabriel Sculo scored 6 goals against Angers, he might struggle against the Cherbourg goalkeeper. The defense, led by Thomas Loppy, continues to dominate their opponents. Whenever there's a lack of depth and danger from the attack, the number 2 players spread out and cut off all trajectories. They then recover many balls and counterattack. However, they might leave some space between the number 3 and number 2 positions. Massy is likely to exploit these spaces through players like Thibault Chevalier or Florent Suretet. Nonetheless, the ratio will remain in favor of Cherbourg. Léo Weber is expected to thrive on counterattacks generated by this tactical defensive work.

Therefore, Cherbourg should win by a scoreline around 30-26, thanks to a well-drilled defensive system.


NANCY HANDBALL VS FRONTIGNAN THAU HANDBALL
03/05/2024 - 8PM

A crazy ending?
Nancy forgot a crucial aspect last week. Their defensive sector was completely deficient, conceding 40 goals against Sélestat. Despite their positive momentum, they failed miserably. Now, they face Frontignan, officially in the playoffs but notably a team that wasn't expected to win last weekend against Billere, yet they did. Trailing by one goal with a minute left and the opponent in possession, a refereeing error initially allowed them to regain the ball and equalize. Then, a solid defense enabled them to recover the ball, followed by a well-timed timeout that disrupted a potential counterattack but ultimately proved effective as their opponents lost possession. Finally, Alexandre Ayhan was left completely unmarked to score the winning goal with 5 seconds left after the timeout. It's fair to say the stars aligned for them. They travel to Nancy with the determination to snatch the fifth place from Cherbourg.

The Lorrains, having nothing left to play for, are likely to leave their defense wide open again. Therefore, it should be a highly offensive match. On one hand, there will be a lack of commitment due to defensive errors, and on the other hand, there will be frequent overcommitment leading to defensive lapses. Attacks should thrive in such conditions.
Nathy Camara for Frontignan and Marc Leyvigne for Nancy are expected to be the top scorers for their respective teams. Each defending against the other will likely leave too much space for their direct opponent, resulting in numerous scoring opportunities. Too much generosity, indeed.

Both teams are expected to surpass 32 goals. We foresee a draw around 33-33 in an entertaining match for those who enjoy seeing fiery attacks. However, for defense-oriented purists, it might be a bit painful to watch.


SARREBOURG MOSELLE SUD HANDBALL VS PONTAULT-COMBAULT HANDBALL 04/05/ 2024 - 8:30 PM

Attacks on fire
Sarrebourg, currently tenth with two matches remaining, doesn't have much left to play for except maintaining their impressive position in the standings. They face Pontault Combault in their final match of the regular season, where they'll either qualify directly for the final four or enter the playoffs against Frontignan, most likely. Their recent victory against Istres has given them a lot of hope, though they still don't have the advantage. They're tied on points with Istres but with a game in hand. Therefore, they should logically finish in third place unless Istres slips up. Nonetheless, they've been a delight to watch, playing dynamic, forward-thinking handball. The arrows, Elio Zammit and Alex Moran, have excelled on any terrain and should give their all this Saturday in Sarrebourg, hoping Istres continues to falter, which is a possibility. However, their technical prowess often sees them through.

We anticipate a highly offensive match where both teams' attacks will dominate. Hugo Lima for Pontault will continue his work in attack and likely draw numerous opposing exclusions. Frédéric Beauregard has clearly stabilized Sarrebourg's defense and brought collective coherence. However, beside him, players may be vulnerable to direct attacks due to their weaknesses in one-on-one situations. Therefore, either the Portuguese center-back or his replacement Kevin Taufond will likely take on the other three central defenders in duels. Along with their wingers exploiting open spaces, they will be among their team's top scorers. Pontault should therefore surpass 30 goals.

Yet, Sarrebourg should also come close. Marius Randriantseheno remains unstoppable and was well supported by Dylan Grandjean last weekend. However, facing Aurélien Padolus and the opposing physical force, they may gradually struggle and be forced into long-distance shots. But with the young goalkeeper Lorenzo Gustave in top form, emerging from the training center, the shooters may find themselves frustrated. He's coming off an exceptional performance with 14 saves against Istres. Therefore, Pontault should gradually pull ahead to a final score of 33-30, ending their regular season on a high note.


VALENCE HANDBALL VS ISTRES PROVENCE HANDBALL 03/05/ 2024 - 8:30 PM

Boring?
Valence forgot last weekend that a match lasts 60 minutes. They were completely absent for the first 30 minutes before waking up and ultimately falling short by just one goal against Cherbourg. As for Istres, they didn't show up at all against Pontault, with a team that played with heart. The absence of Vincent Gérard deprived them of the usual saves needed to gain an advantage in the match. Now, Istres have two matches to secure the second place, while Pontault only has one left. Therefore, they have the advantage but need at least one victory and one draw. To achieve this, they travel to Valence and will host Massy on the final day. Since Vincent Gérard is not announced as absent for the French national team training camp next week, he should be available this Friday.

He will be present in a match that is expected to lack rhythm. Both teams tend to play in an old-fashioned manner, with slow build-ups in their attacks. For example, Valence often engages in long movements without any initial danger but with a real change of pace at a crucial moment. They often lull opposing defenses to sleep before striking at the end of the attack. Istres will need to be present at the key moments. Vincent Gérard should reduce the efficiency of long-range shooters, potentially causing problems for Aboubakar Fofana. When he lacks impact, his team tends to stagnate. Enzo Vignon, on the other hand, should take advantage of Thomas Tesoriere's lapses in defense, who tends to be more rugged than clean technically. Istres also regularly receive numerous two-minute exclusions.

However, the individual technical qualities of the Istres players should suffice. We may see Geoffroy Carabasse inside once again. Although he's not performing at his best, he should still find himself unmarked under the depth of the Valence defense. Despite his performances being concerning, his teammates don't involve him much. His numerous failures mean he's becoming less sought after.

In summary, it may not be a beautiful match, focusing more on individual qualities. Under these conditions, Istres should win a tightly contested match around 32-30. With just one more victory against Massy, Istres will head to Sélestat for the final four and aim to return to the Liqui Moly Starligue.