Handball

LNH Division 1, Round 18

Lao Stand

Feb 21, 2024 • 12 min read

PAYS AIX UNIVERSITÉ CLUB HANDBALL VS USAM NIMES GARD 23/02/2024 - CET 19:00

Right side up
Here are two teams that have gotten back on track. Aix, with its financial troubles, had shown a lot of concentration difficulties against Dijon. Their numerous shooting errors had put them in jeopardy. But they woke up with their impressive 38- 35 win on Limoges' turf. On the other hand, Nîmes, who had been struggling recently, have set things right. They secured a controlled victory of 32-25 against Créteil, already leading 21-11 at halftime. So, what can we expect this weekend?

We could witness a show from goalkeeper Joze Baznik against his future club. He was elected goalkeeper of the week after his outstanding performance with a 42% save rate. USAM will certainly need him against the multiple threats from Aix. Despite tightening up on Ian Tarrafeta and the backs, they find solutions on the wings. Matthieu Ong, the left winger, and Gabriel Loaesch, the right winger, scored 6 and 8 goals respectively against Limoges. And if the defense stays low to avoid connections with the backs, then long-range shots from Romain Lagarde or Sime Ivic could be taken. The Nîmes defense has the desire to put a lot of pressure with considerable depth while maintaining zone management on the pivot. This should open the door for Adrien Vergely to gain positions. Having been trained at Nîmes, he will try to show his coaches the progress he has made over the years. His journey linked to his progression is remarkable. After several years in Proligue to improve his footwork, he is now in the Liqui Moly Starligue. He, who has also signed with the prestigious club of Chambéry, should be the top scorer in this match. Combined with the other pivot, Andréa Parisini, both should cause havoc in the Nîmes defense.
Nîmes, on the other hand, should primarily exploit fast breaks and the spaces left open in Aix's defense. Vincent Guéric, with his quick engagements, should find solutions with his speed. Once the fast break is completed, the Nîmes players should find long-range shooting opportunities against a defense that struggles to cover depth in the center. Quentin Minel or Mohab Abdelhak should manage to position themselves with the crossover movements often used by them. However, we believe that the Nîmes team may struggle over the course of the game. The absence of their two central midfielders due to injuries is detrimental. Their impact on one-on-one situations should be missed, affecting the necessary alternation for a great offensive performance.

Therefore, we believe that Aix should win narrowly with a score around 36-33.

CESSON RENNES MÉTROPOLE HANDBALL VS LIMOGES HAND 87 24/02/2024 - CET 19:30

Confirm new status
We were expecting a strong performance from the Limoges goalkeepers, but unfortunately, it didn't happen. Limoges thus fell in an open-door match 35 to 38. They will need them if they want to prevail in Brittany. As for Cesson, they narrowly missed out by just one goal in Chambéry. So, we are once again anticipating a match where anything can happen.

The key point of the match will depend on Cesson's ability to be efficient in front of the goal. Mathieu Salou should continue his work from long range, but the game with the pivot should be limited. The lack of depth in the Limoges defense will open the doors to long-range shooters but will close the game with Axel Oppedisano, the Breton pivot. However, the lack of shooters on Cesson's side should allow Limoges to make the difference as the match progresses. Mathieu Salou can only play on one side of the court because his defensive weakness prevents him from being used on the opposite side of the bench.

On the other side of the court, the well-crafted Spanish-style game built by Alberto Entrerios should once again bear fruit. Scoring is distributed across all players generally. But the notable point is the rising level of Ewan Kervadec, son of the famous pivot, match by match. His impact in duels but also in mid-range shots makes him a real threat to exploit from now on. And when he needs to take a breather, there's no fear with the entry of the experienced jure Dolenec. With his atypical game based on changing pace, he can surprise all opposing defenders. And even more so against Cesson, who tirelessly seeks neutralization. He should use this imbalance to surprise and win his one-on-one battles. The Limoges attack should thus take the upper hand throughout the match.
Therefore, they should emerge victorious in the end with more than 32 goals on their tally. Cesson will not disappoint but may fall short by a few lengths against their opponents of the evening.

C’CHARTRES MÉTROPOLE HANDBALL VS HBC NANTES, FEBRUARY 23/02/2024 - CET 19:00

Injury relay

A slew of injuries on Nantes' side, and yet nothing changes. They continue to win, thanks to their attack regularly surpassing 35 goals. Many absentees, indeed, but Aymeric Minne takes care of everything. "Don't worry, I've got it all covered," he says. A scorer and a decisive passer, one regrets that he hasn't been in the French national team, but he proves to everyone weekly that he is among the greats. And this time, Nantes faces Chartres. It seems they've passed the baton of injuries. Having regained much of their squad, they come off a convincing and important victory against Dunkirk.

But this is a whole different challenge. Aymeric Minne should still be the top scorer and top passer for his team. He organizes the attack, regularly initiating the first strong moves. From there, his teammates only need to exploit the imbalances created by his threat. And the defensive weaknesses of the 2 and Ilja Abutovic should only confirm our statements.

In attack, Chartres should do the job and distribute their threat properly. That's their strength now, showing danger in all areas. What will be necessary is to see some sliding play. Adrian Figueras, the Chartres pivot and former Nantes player, is a force to be reckoned with, causing trouble for his former team with his movements. The corridor behind is often left open. It can be exploited by the pivots but also by entries based on reading. Adrian should therefore be the top scorer for his team in this matchup. But Nantes' defensive intentions will lead them to find solutions on the open court over the course of the match. Counterattacks will thus be in order. And it is on this key point that the difference in score will be made.

Therefore, we expect a Nantes victory with more than 38 goals on the scoreboard. Chartres should approach 30 goals and be a worthy opponent.

US CRÉTEIL HANDBALL VS SARAN LOIRET HB
23/02/2024 - 8:30 PM

Madness or mastery
The Cristol madness or the Saran mastery? Which will make the difference? This is what awaits us in this matchup. The Cristol madness with their ability to play at 100 miles per hour. But often at overspeed. Their game is indeed a seamless composition of real-time moments. They attack every ball regardless of the solution and try to be decisive in the early stages of the attack. Either through long-range shots with Kylian Rigault or in the search for their pivots Valentin Aman or Jason Muel. So when they are successful, they can score 40 goals against anyone. The number of possessions is naturally higher as a result. But when they lose the ball and force their game, they can find themselves trailing 21-11 as they did against Nîmes at halftime. It is therefore difficult to know which tune they will play in this game. Will they resemble Beethoven enthusiasts playing the piano in French train stations?

Saran, on the other hand, are quite consistent in their performances. They will rarely create exploits but should control games against direct opponents by exploiting their weaknesses. But the problem for them is that they have enormous difficulties defending against opposing pivots. This is simply evidenced by the 13 goals scored by Kamil Syprzak, the star pivot of PSG, in the last match. Granted, Valentin Aman operates in a different register, but this relationship is so sought after by the Cristol backs that their pivots should be the top scorers in this matchup.

On the Saran side, we also note the important arrival of pivot Mohamed Mamdouh in a defender-attacker pivot role. They are therefore well equipped now with 3 quality pivots in different roles. The two-pivot game could therefore be exploited by Jérémy Roussel. But attacking Créteil this way is not the most preferable. Indeed, to attack Créteil, it is preferable to position the pivot on the 5 defensive and thus on Samuel Deen. From there, a strong move is created on the opposite side, either on the 3 or the 2. This systematically triggers early help. And thus the center-back only has to choose between the pivot if the 5 has not made too much effort to push him back, or the outer back who will then only have to play a two-on-one. Saran can therefore exploit it with Pau Oliveras and Romuald Kolle, the team's two duelists. The game should therefore conclude on the right wing. Unfortunately, their right winger Luka Radovic is expected to be absent due to injury.

Therefore, considering these slight parameters, we expect a victory for Créteil with 36 goals on the scoreboard. But Saran should not be far behind with 34 goals certainly.

DUNKERQUE HANDBALL GRAND LITTORAL VS US IVRY HANDBALL 23/02/2024 - CET 19:00

Maintaining

Here's what's at stake this weekend. The winning team should put relegation 6 points behind them. And therefore have three matches in hand. This is not negligible. Dunkerque faces Ivry, both tied in the standings with 11 points. Ivry are coming off a resounding feat with their victory against Toulouse. And an incredible performance from their left-back Aymeric Zaepfel with his 11 goals. Yet they still believed that their victory could slip away due to their recurring problems, turnovers. Toulouse literally thwarted the last attacking situations, allowing Ivry to win by a narrow margin. Facing them are Dunkerque, in doubt after their logical defeat at Chartres.

At home, Dunkerque is more solid defensively. Unfortunately, they sometimes lack a few saves to make the difference. Of course, the opponents of the evening will attack Kornel Nagy, but his experience should lead the game where he wants it. Teamwork will be necessary this Friday. We could see a battle of strength against speed. Ivry's lack of continuity makes us believe that Dunkerque should defensively control and keep Ivry below 30 goals.

Now it's up to them to surpass 30 goals. Of course, there will be some easy fast breaks due to Ivry's turnovers. But that shouldn't be enough. It's necessary for the offensive machinery to work. And we think that's possible. Indeed, their efficient

movement remains the isolation on 3 with their pivot in position on the 5. This means that Jean-Loup Faustin will attack either Simon Ooms or Gautier Loredon in a duel. And these are the two players most in difficulty in dueling. Afgour, on the other hand, should win his position against Antonin Mohamed and therefore take physical control. That's why Dunkerque could surpass 30 goals. Between these isolations and their movements that will bring Cornelius Kragh to shoot. He remains on his success from last weekend with his 8 goals.

We therefore believe that Dunkerque should win in a tight and closed match that should be played around 30 goals.

MONTPELLIER HANDBALL VS PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN HANDBALL 25/02/2024, CET 15:00

Fire attacks
If you want to see beautiful handball, this is where you should be looking. And this clash at the top between MHB and PSG is always a spectacle. For 25 years, these two clubs have shared the titles. Granted, the arrival of the Qataris has given Paris the advantage. Indeed, there are several million differences between the Montpellier and Paris budgets. But Patrice Canayer, the Montpellier coach, has often found recipes to disrupt Parisian play. In his last year in Hérault, he will have to work miracles again if he wants to win. Unfortunately, injuries in his ranks will not help. The long-term absence of Kyllian Villeminot and Ahmed Hesham reduces offensive options. They, who could dominate their opponents offensively. And on the other side, a Paris team in complete control of the championship. They remain undefeated, seemingly fueled by the road to the Olympics leading to quality performances.

So here's a showdown between the two best teams in the league. Unfortunately, apart from some heroic saves from the Montpellier goalkeepers, we don't expect any surprises. The keys might therefore be in the hands of Rémi Desbonnet or Charles Bolzinger. In a heated Bougnol, their exploits are welcome. Because in the game, while the Montpellier attack with its duels and combinations will find solutions, in their weak moments, Paris should make the difference defensively. This will naturally lead to solutions on counterattacks but also on fast breaks by Luc Steins. The retreat must be swift to avoid being overrun.

Nevertheless, even if it is well executed, the Parisian attack should prevail. Apart from the exploitation game around Luc Steins' one-on-ones, we should mainly see Montpellier's weakness exposed. And this weakness lies in facing one of the best Parisian players. Pivot management. Their zone play means the pivot always has time to position himself and secure his position through anticipation or simply through movement. And attacking Montpellier is done through these relationships. So, there's no doubt that the top Parisian scorer will once again be the top scorer this Sunday. Both through his penalties and his play inside.

So, unless one of the two Montpellier goalkeepers puts in an outstanding performance, we expect a comfortable victory for Paris by 6 goals and scoring over 36 goals.

SAINT-RAPHAËL VHB VS CHAMBÉRY SAVOIE HANDBALL 24/02/2024 - CET 19:00

The end of a series?
Chambéry, with the best winning streak after Paris, travels to Saint-Raphaël. It's a match that promises to be complicated against a team focused on offense. The 5th place is at stake in this duel of outsiders. Chambéry's narrow victory over Cesson may have revealed the keys for Saint-Raphaël to unsettle them.

Chambéry's game remains expansive but increasingly favors the right side. In the last match, all 22 goals from the left-handed players on Chambéry's side were naturally due to the unstoppable Sebastian Skube, who creates all the momentum and imbalances. His mastery of the combat distance is impressive. It's especially noteworthy, and we're glad for him, to see Alexandre Tritta back after almost a year and a half of absence due to depression. This will naturally relieve Gustavo Rodriguez in his position. Alexandre's ability to finish in the outer interval will maintain the quality of Chambéry's wide game. However, Saint-Raphaël could shut down these solutions simply because of the reach of their number ones. This, coupled with a deterrent effort, will make the solutions less obvious than usual. Whether it's Raphaël Caucheteux or Drevy Paschal, the two left wingers should both nullify some imbalances and intercept some balls for well-timed fast breaks.

In attack, Saint-Raphaël will continue to press with José Marquez in the center. He, too, creates the majority of the plays and is a true impact player. Chambéry's central weakness should be exposed by his qualities. And if not, Johannes Marescot will remember his good years in Savoie to gain the upper hand over the two central towers and former competitors in the position. His very low center of gravity could pose a challenge for Pierre Paturel and Hugo Brouzet, two defenders of very large stature. Their quadriceps should be on fire by the end of the match as they will have to flex to the maximum if they wish to defend against their opponents of the evening.

Therefore, surprisingly, we expect the end of the Savoyards' winning streak with a victory by a narrow margin for Saint- Raphaël. However, both teams are expected to exceed 30 goals.

FÉNIX TOULOUSE HANDBALL VS DIJON MÉTROPOLE HB 23/02/ 2024 - CET 19:00

About pride
Toulouse deserved their defeat by mismanaging crucial moments. Losing 31-29 in Ivry is still something manageable. However, there must still be some frustration. When you want to see outstanding performances, the referee only needs to put Stevann Pichon in charge. He tends to want to have an impact on the game. His decisions often make the difference rather than letting the game speak for itself. He is already a part of the game; there's no need to try to influence the outcome. So, this is a significant setback to recover from. And it's against Dijon, the bottom team in the standings. They fight valiantly with the weapons they have, even if they are inferior, they are pleasant to watch play.

But the Toulouse players' resurgence of pride should not be delayed. Their game, consisting of well-oiled systems, leads their players to success. Because the systems depend on their strengths. Ayyoub Abdi should therefore be a major contributor to Toulouse's victory once again. The Algerian right-back exploits both his qualities as a duelist up close and his shooting ability with his lasso. But what we should mainly see is the assistance from the Dijon players, which always leads to additional support. The game should therefore regularly finish with the wingers. Nemanja Ilic and Édouard Kempf should thus be the two best scorers for their team. Without a stellar performance from Wassim Helal, Toulouse should gain the offensive upper hand.

In defense, the door will open for the pivots. Either Edgar Dentz, the new Dijon player, or the old stalwart Marc Poletti. He has experienced all the promotions and relegations of his beloved club. Then, the entry of Frédéric Petterson in defense will bring Malo Lignières to attack him. He should therefore find some opportune imbalances. However, this should not be enough in the long run.

Toulouse should therefore pull away as the match progresses to win by 7 goals in the end.

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