LFH Division 1, Women – Round 22

TRASBOURG ACHENHEIM TRUCHTERSHEIM HANDBALL
VS TOULON MÉTROPOLE VAR HANDBALL
27/04/ 2024 - 8:30 PM

Saving your skin
Two of the three worst defenses in the league are facing off. Needless to say, there should be goals. Toulon, with 8 consecutive losses, and Strasbourg, with 7 consecutive losses, have been caught up by Stella. The latter is now only one point behind these two teams. And we remind you that only the last team descends to the second division. So, this is a match to gain some breathing room and glimpse survival with five rounds left in the championship. The stakes are high. They'll need to play simply if they want to come out on top.

And this time, we believe it will be Toulon who makes the difference. Thanks to their attack, which alternates between isolation play and movement to launch their backs. They may lack long-range impact, but the key to success against the Alsace team is movement. This quickly puts them off balance and behind. Enola Grollier could exploit the imbalances with her duels, while Beatriz Sousa with her mid-range shots. However, they must be careful not to spin their wheels as they did against Brest, with only 5 goals in the first half. Now, the level of defensive opposition this weekend is quite different. The return of Manon Lachaize would also be beneficial for them, as she has extended her adventure with the team from Var.

On the other side of the field, Lilou Begon should be the top scorer for her team, exploiting her feints and duels to exploit all of Toulon's defensive weaknesses. But the one who should make the difference this time is Florence Bonnet. The young Toulon goalkeeper should exploit all of her saves to disrupt the opposing shooters. She, who will join her training club Besançon next season, still needs to prove her qualities. And it's a great opportunity for her to shine and support her team towards survival. The match, as expected, will be very open, with both teams expected to exceed 30 goals. But Toulon, with their experience in the championship and battles for survival, should come out on top with a score around 32-30. It will remain a close match where the balance could have tipped either way.

PARIS 92 VS  STELLA SAINT-MAUR HANDBALL
26/04/2024 - 8:30 PM

Wingers up front
Paris has just taken a big step towards third place after their impressive victory away to Nantes. The joy of the players and staff is a testament to the remarkable performance they put on. They controlled the match from start to finish to win 32-30 in the end. Now, they just need to keep up the momentum until the last day to secure this promising position behind the two giants of the championship, Brest and Metz. Next up is hosting Stella, currently at the bottom of the standings. However, Stella has regained hope of avoiding relegation with only one point behind Toulon and Strasbourg. But one of these two teams should pull away this weekend.

Indeed, there's little doubt about the final outcome of this match. A Paris team that takes its time offensively and manages to play very expansively. This match should allow them to give playing time to the entire team. Yacine Messaoudi will naturally rely on her two very effective wingers. Marie Prouvensier scored 8 goals last Sunday, and Alice Mazens scored 5. But this time, young Amélie Dufeil on the right wing and Chloé Houze on her left wing should get more minutes than usual. This will allow them to showcase their potential. While they may be second or third choices at their positions, this is an opportunity to gain experience. One of them should therefore score more than 5 goals this Friday.

And in defense, Camilia Micijevic should feel comfortable against Mathilde Plotton. One of the top scorers in the championship may see her output reduced this time against the size of the opposing number 3. The solutions Stella is expected to get will mainly come from the wings. But Léa Serdarevic should keep a close watch. Her positioning should allow her to repel the assaults of the opposing players.

Paris 92 should therefore easily win with a score around 36-22. They will then have only 4 more matches to secure third place.|


HANDBALL PLAN DE CUQUES VS CHAMBRAY TOURAINE HANDBALL - 28/04/ 2024 - 3PM

Agathe power
Plan de Cuques, currently 6th, faces Chambray, 5th, in a battle for qualification in European competition. Both teams impressed in the last round. Chambray secured a 32-24 victory over Mérignac, while Plan de Cuques crushed Strasbourg 30-19. It's a true duel of center-backs. Nadia Offendal from Tours faces her future replacement, Manon Grimaud. Indeed, Grimaud has signed with Chambray while Offendal will leave her teammates to join Dijon next season. More focused on open space, Grimaud will bring more to fast play and ball speed next year. However, she is less impactful and less of a scorer than Nadia Offendal. Both will be key elements for their teams this Sunday, each in their own style. But it's mainly two different styles that are clashing. A more defensive team with Chambray, focusing on attack length, faces a team more inclined towards fast play and speed in the game. So, who will come out on top?

The fast play of Plan de Cuques should find success against the slow defensive transitions of some Chambray players. But can this happen enough times? It seems difficult because Chambray tends to prolong their attacks. Situations often occur in the second or third tempo without risking losing balls upstream. They will thus have time to anticipate the defensive transition and not find themselves behind. Therefore, fast play is likely to be neutralized during the match. Ultimately, everything will depend on Angelique Spencer's team's ability to score goals in set attacks. Will ball speed be enough against the dense defense? We expect to see less of Romane Kromoska, who should be marked by collective defense, particularly the solid closures of Laugane Pina. An additional pass is always required to succeed against Chambray. Agathe Quinou makes the difference on the wings. We believe that the left wingers, Chloe Bellonet and Aurelie Goubel, will struggle against this excellent goalkeeper. This will tighten the game and help Chambray take control as the game progresses.

Therefore, we expect Chambray to win with a score around 28-26.

OGC NICE CÔTE D’AZUR HANDBALL VS BREST BRETAGNE HANDBALL - 21/04/2024 - 6PM

Before the summit
It's quite unusual, but the match actually took place a week earlier than scheduled. We know how the LFH tries to protect its teams for the European Cup. Brest should have been preparing and playing their European Cup quarter-final. However, they were eliminated in the previous round. So, Brest played two matches within 48 hours, only to have a break of two and a half weeks before their next match.

Despite this, they still easily and masterfully won a match that could have been tricky. But, as we mentioned, Brest must not make any mistakes if they wish to win the French championship.
The Nice star, Ehsan Abdel-Malek, fought well with her 6 goals, but she found herself a bit isolated. This was thanks to the great opposing goalkeeper, Katharina Filter, who put in a stellar performance to dampen Nice's hopes. She managed to thwart most of the opposing shooters, except perhaps Raissa Dapina on her right wing.

On the other side of the field, Jenny Karlsson played masterfully, both for herself with her six goals and to set up her teammates. In fact, Constance Mauny ended up as the top scorer on the left wing with her 8 goals.
So, Brest continues to move forward until the showdown against Metz, which is their next match. Nice finishes their season cruising with nothing much left to play for.

MÉRIGNAC HANDBALL VS JDA BOURGOGNE DIJON HANDBALL, 27/04/2024 - 8PM

Too lonely
Mérignac, currently four points away from the bottom and thus relegation, faces Dijon, seventh in the league and two points away from a European spot. The change in coaching staff for Dijon clearly hasn't had a negative impact on their performance. They've been delivering consistent performances, as evidenced by their recent 33-29 victory over St Amand, a match that seemed tricky but which Dijon controlled well. On the other hand, Mérignac has been stagnant, with four losses in their last five matches. While a win would provide some relief in terms of avoiding relegation, even if they lose all their matches, it's highly likely they'll still avoid relegation. The pressure is therefore on Dijon, who hope to catch up to Plan de Cuques in the standings. With quality recruitment planned for next season, it's undoubtedly their objective for the end of this season.

Expect a match where Dijon controls the game and continues to impress offensively. Against Mérignac, success often lies on the wings. Wingers Maureen Gayet and Nina Dury are expected to be the top scorers for Dijon in this match. Although Dijon's game is well-balanced, Mérignac's defensive weaknesses, particularly in terms of positioning and defensive rotations, will leave openings for these opportunities and for shooters to challenge goalkeeper Lena Le Borgne.

On the other hand, Dijon will have studied video footage from Chambray's recent match to learn how to neutralize the impact of the league's top scorer, Nele Antonissen. In their previous encounter, Antonissen, averaging 6.9 goals per game, was limited to just 3 goals. Dijon's defense is also notable for its mobility and effective teamwork. While their goalkeepers may occasionally lack saves, their defensive strategy remains coherent. As is often the case in women's handball, scoring opportunities will arise on the wings. Julie Abadie and Léa Lignieres will therefore have their work cut out for them to improve their shooting accuracy if they wish to cause an upset. Mérignac's young players have struggled to maintain consistent performances to become genuine contenders.

Dijon's experience and control of the game should see them emerge victorious with a scoreline around 30-26. This result will maintain the pressure on Plan de Cuques for a European spot until the end of the season.

ST AMAND HANDBALL – PORTE DU HAINAULT VS LES NEPTUNES DE NANTES 27/04/2024 - 7:30 PM

Halter's big surprise
Nantes has just failed in the race for third place against Parisians. Now, they can only hope for two slip-ups from the latter to reclaim their position. However, the loss of their primary objective may lead to a relaxation and a certain decrease in commitment. St Amand thus has an opening to exploit. They failed at Dijon but need a victory to mathematically secure their survival.

There is no doubt that Edina Szabo's players will put their hearts into this confrontation. Offensively, we should once again see Stelvia Pascoal succeeding in her shooting. She excels in both long-distance shots and decisive duels, using her shoulder's fluid engagement to win intervals against opposing defenders. However, the solutions against Nantes primarily lie on the wings. Melanie Jobard, who scored 8 goals last weekend, should continue her momentum. This young winger has a wide range of shots in her arsenal, allowing her to find solutions against any goalkeeper. She will contribute to her team scoring more than 30 goals in this match.

Unfortunately, their defensive weaknesses will allow Nantes to unfold their game. But if there is a surprise to occur due to a lack of concentration, it could come from a stellar performance by Melanie Halter. Under contract with Metz, she was loaned out to the North this year. She will further distance herself next year by playing in Hungary. This new experience should allow her to develop and continue progressing. Her wingspan makes this 21-year-old player a high-potential prospect for the future. She tends to rely heavily on her segments and still needs to learn to read and play against her opponents. But to beat her, opponents must make the necessary efforts to set her in motion and thus off balance. And as mentioned, the possible relaxation of Nantes could allow the goalkeeper to exceed a 40% save rate.
If this happens as anticipated, we expect a major upset with St Amand securing a final victory by a margin of less than 2 goals.

METZ HANDBALL VS ES BESANÇON FÉMININ
15/05/2024 - 8PM

At the chef's table
This part will take place on May 15th. By then, the return match in Brest will have taken place. The matches are rescheduled to allow Metz to prepare as best as possible for their Champions League matches.
There will be two possible scenarios. But whatever happens, Metz is superior to Besançon and will seek either to maintain their course towards the title of French champions or to wait for one or two slip-ups from Brest. As long as the championship is not over, everything is still playable. It's only at the end of the dance that the musicians are paid. So May 8th is a key date, indeed, but nothing will be decided until the final second of the championship is whistled.

And in this match-up, Metz will only have to exploit the opponents' mistakes. Indeed, their defense is solid. And when Besançon no longer finds solutions, that's when they force it and lose the ball, or take shots too quickly, thus giving the opponents the

opportunity to execute them. Emmanuel Mayonnade's players are experts in this area. Every loss of possession is exploited by seeking Chloe Valentini as quickly as possible with long passes. Even if she is not necessarily isolated, she is sought after because she has the ability to pass her direct defender and then find solutions or penalties at full speed. So she should still be the top scorer for her team during this match. She dreams of winning the title of top scorer in the championship. But for that, she will have to work hard. Nele Antonissen, currently number one in the standings, is only four goals ahead, and Mathilde Plotton only one.

So, regardless of the scenario, we will not see any surprises on May 15th. The pursuit of the title being the regular and priority objective of the Metz team. The score could be around 36 to 28.