LFH Division 1, Women Round 12

10/01/24

BREST BRETAGNE HANDBALL VS CHAMBRAY TOURAINE HANDBALL

Anchoring point

Chambray, who has just been eliminated in the European Cup in Romania against Braila, is now traveling to face the runner-up of the Brest championship. The latter have won against the Hungarian team Debrecen, marking a notable victory in the Champions League and the return of Aissatou Kouyaté to her position as right back. This Wednesday, we should once again see the Brest team playing around their pivot Pauletta Foppa, facing the two Chambray players in the number 3 position. However, Clara Monti Danielsson's volume and Aminata Sow's physical density should reduce the impact of this. Therefore, we should see Juliette Faure exploiting her duels against the number 2 players to find solutions against this defense. If they create a lot of movement, solutions will easily open up, particularly around the anchor point of Pauletta Foppa or the new recruit Hawa N’Diaye, without actively seeking them. The combinations will lead to Brest's success. On the Chambray attacking side, there is a lot of movement, with long triggers but little impact in simple triggers leading to strong moments in duels. However, the difficulty lies in the Breton defense if they manage to isolate Pauletta and attack her head-on. Therefore, Chambray seems to struggle due to a lack of cutting edge and danger towards the goal despite the quality of the squad. The absence of their top scorer Manon Houette, who is sidelined due to a knee injury, will not help them score. It is up to them to find the pivot Aminata Saw in the "Nantes" type triggers that they regularly execute. The balance of power on the number 2 positions will always be in her favor. Therefore, we anticipate Chambray going around in circles against this defense, considering their offensive strategy.

We expect a victory for Brest with a minimum margin of 6 goals and a Breton team scoring over 35 goals.

LES NEPTUNES DE NANTES VS SAINT AMAND HANDBALL – PORTE DU HAINAUT

Back in gold

After revealing herself to the world during the World Championship, which she won with the French national team, the young back Léna Grandveau returns to the league with boosted morale. For their comeback match, the Neptunes face Saint Amand, who lost in a penalty shootout against Besançon in the French Cup over the weekend. The latter will have a slight advantage having officially resumed training in advance. The low and zone defense of the northern team is facing significant difficulties against the opponent's strong pivots. The other world champion, Oriane Ondono, although she had limited participation in the competition, is expected to excel in the face of these challenges. When on the field, she gains a favorable position and is frequently sought after by her teammates. Zone combinations and a lack of depth will aid Oriane in expressing herself. If Nantes fails to find this solution, they may impact from a distance through Léna, a very skilled shooter close to the counter, or on their triggers to put Marie-Hélène Sajka in a comfortable position from long range. On the opposing side, the Nantes defense, playing woman-to-woman with right dissuasion intentions, should limit the collective play of Edina Borsos' players and force Mélanie Jobard to take shots in the axis. However, attention should be paid to Stelvia Pascoal, the Angolan left back in great form with her 12 goals in the French Cup. She may find herself isolated against Nantes' opponents. Therefore, we expect her to score a lot, but perhaps lose some balls over the course of the match, allowing the Neptunes to capitalize on fast-paced play.

We foresee Nantes winning in the end, albeit with some difficulty, by 4 to 5 goals, scoring over 32 goals.

ES BESANÇON FÉMININ VS METZ HANDBALL

The advantage of defensive intent

The undefeated Metz team kicks off their year 2024 against Besançon, who emerged victorious over the weekend in the French Cup against Saint Amand. Meanwhile, Metz secured their sixth consecutive win in the Champions League over the weekend. On the field, the straight defensive intentions of the players, under the guidance of the hopeful future coach of the French national team, Emmanuel Mayonnade, will allow them to recover balls and exploit their quality in open spaces throughout the match. Although future Brest player Clarisse Mairot is expected to dominate her duels and consistently attack Sarah Bouktit, who lacks agility, it may not be enough. Malin Sandberg, the Swedish right back who forcefully creates opportunities, is likely to jeopardize the opposing team with turnovers or forced shots, creating a gap and potential frustration among her teammates. As for the Besançon defense, it's the opposite – very few intentions. Only the goalkeepers work in reverse. While the plan is built around the qualities of their goalkeeper Sakura Hauge, who performs well from a distance and on the wings, it is unlikely to be sufficient against the skills of the Metz players. We anticipate all the backcourt shooters, especially Anne Mette Hansen, using their wrist skills to exploit the opposing goalkeeper. While Sébastien Mizoule usually develops strategies against an opponent's long-range impact, more will be needed here. If he decides to add depth to each shooter, Sarah Bouktit's positioning as a pivot should make the difference.

No surprises are expected, with a Metz victory primarily unfolding in open spaces due to Besançon's offensive turnovers. A win by a minimum of 8 goals is anticipated, with more than 35 goals on the scoreboard, despite the Japanese goalkeeper making numerous saves.

OGC NICE CÔTE D’AZUR HANDBALL VS TOULON MÉTROPOLE VAR HANDBALL

Low-ranking derby

Certainly the shortest away trip of the year for Toulon, as they visit their neighbors in Nice. A derby that has often seen victories for OGC in recent years. Nice has a psychological advantage, coupled with the fact that they already have a comeback match with their impressive one-goal victory against Plan de Cuques in the French Cup. And tactically, we don't see why this would change on Wednesday. Indeed, despite its weaknesses in the central sector, the Nice defense should compensate and tighten up to reduce the impact of Manon Lachaize. She is expected to find many solutions but may tire over the course of the match due to the physical challenge posed by Marie Fall. The tight defense of Nice should, therefore, open up spaces on the outside, where their goalkeeper, Marija Colic, is most effective. Consequently, Toulon is likely to face difficulties and be pierced by Nice's fast-paced game as the match progresses. And if that's not the case in attack, Tena Petika takes care of everything. Both through her long-distance shots and her connections with pivot Marie Fall or with her backcourt players. Nice should, therefore, find solutions from a distance or create triangular plays against the unconventional Toulon defense.

Therefore, we anticipate a logical and straightforward victory for OGC Nice, with a margin of 4 to 5 goals, having controlled the match.

HANDBALL PLAN DE CUQUES VS PM PARIS 92

External decision-making

After its defeat in the French Cup against Nice over the weekend, Plan de Cuques will be eager to bounce back. However, it won't be an easy task against this strong Parisian team. The Provençal team will have a tough challenge in reducing the opponent's offensive impacts and will likely need to prepare multiple tactical plans. Indeed, they must simultaneously add depth against Camilia Micijevic, tighten up on Méline Nocandy or Coura Kanouté. However, when Paris 92 plays with two small players in the backcourt, they can pose a threat to many opposing defenses. While the tight defense of Plan de Cuques will bring solutions in the 1-2 intervals, it's clearly not Camilia's strong suit. On the other hand, if Déborah Lassource plays, she can exploit the intervals often left by the Southern team. The difference will be made in this space or with the wingers. Alice Mazens might, for once, have numerous options to exploit on her wing. The defense of Angélique Spencer's team will unsettle the Parisian team. However, on the other side of the field, we believe the same is true. Paris's dense defense, even in woman-to-woman coverage, should pose difficulties for Plan de Cuques. They will have little height to offer and will allow long-range decisions. It's up to them to tighten up around the players in duels. The height of the two central players should facilitate one-on-one work for Kromoska Romane and ultimately reduce the impact of the excellent right winger, Justine Martel. If they force more towards the center, they will face the two central towers, Astride Ngouan and Camilia Micijevic, and may find it challenging to score against goalkeeper Adrianna Placzek.

In the end, we should expect a victory for Paris 92 by a small margin of 4 goals, with few goals on both sides and thus less than 28 goals in total.

MÉRIGNAC HANDBALL VS STRASBOURG ACHENHEIM TRUCHTERSHEIM HB