Handball

LNH DIVISION 1 – Round 15

Salvo

Dec 18, 2023 • 10 min read

PAYS AIX UNIVERSITÉ CLUB VS CESSON RENNES MÉTROPOLE HB, DECEMBER 20/12/23, CET 8PM

Aix on the move

After their impressive victory over Nantes, Aix now welcome a team in difficulty. Cesson have just lost their number 2 goalkeeper Milos Mocevic to a cruciate ligament rupture. But Anraud Tabarand is back from injury. Back to handball.
Cesson's attack is still irregular, but essentially based on the duels of their full-backs. Their big difficulty is not finding quality in the link-ups. This would enable them to attack their duels with ease, faced with defenders on the move and therefore off-balance. So, for the time being, Cesson should find themselves in difficulty against Aix-en-Provence's quality man-to-man defense. Of course, they'll win a few duels in the early stages, which will provide them with easy solutions, but it will be difficult to put Aix in difficulty solely on the basis of 1 duel, 1 or 2 passes maximum in strong time. Adrien Vergely and defensive specialist Gerdas Babarskas are more at ease on the man. Aix should therefore reduce the Cessonnais to less than 28 goals.
Let's hope that Sébastien Leriche can find the solutions he needs to ensure the continuity of strong periods, which is vital at this level and against a technically stronger team.
On the other side of the pitch, things could be much the same. To beat the Cesson defense, you have to be able to avoid being neutralized. And we can well imagine the vista of Spanish center-half Ian Tarrafeta to bring the game and the ball to life as it should be.
The match should therefore end with Aix winning by at least 6 goals. And if Aix manage to play their game the way they want, they should score a lot in the end.

CHAMBÉRY SAVOIE HB VS SAINT-RAPHAËL VHB 20/12/23, CET 8PM

Trap match for Saint-Raphaël

Saint-Raphaël forgot to defend last weekend. Sure, against Paris, but they still conceded 45 goals. A very enjoyable match to watch, with a lot of speed in the game. How we love modern handball played this way. No time to breathe, just time to appreciate this sport which, thanks to its new rules, is becoming increasingly dynamic. But although they took 45, they put in 38. So watch out for Chambéry's defense. The danger comes from everywhere. It's a balanced game, well constructed by Benjamin Braux. And there's no doubt that they'll continue to impress offensively and threaten Chambéri's defenders. How can Erick Mathé thwart Raphaëllois' plans when the danger is coming from all sides? Well, we don't think they can. But we do think that it's their attack that's going to be in tune, and that its wide play will highlight the opponent's technical defensive difficulties. Lucas Vanegue, especially in the face of major defensive weaknesses, should come into his own. But could this be enough to tip the balance?
We don't think so, even if it's clearly a trap match at home. So we're waiting to see if Saint Raphaël, still with more than 35 goals on the counter, win against a Savoyard team with around 32 goals.

DIJON MÉTROPOLE HB VS FÉNIX TOULOUSE HANDBALL 20/12/23, CET 8.30 PM

At the relaunch

Toulouse should continue to raise their heads after their fine victory over Montpellier. Santa Claus should be generous with them. He was, by giving them a match against the league's bottom club to get them back on track. Let's hope all these defeats haven't turned the heads of the Toulouse players. The long-term absence of Maxime Gilbert is obviously one of the reasons for the current difficulties. Casper Kall, the young French replacement centre-half, is doing all he can to make up for the absence, but his lack of experience is causing mistakes at key moments.
But to return to the match, Ayyoub Abdi should have the physical and technical advantage over his direct Dijon rivals. We can imagine Danijel Andjelkovic organizing the Toulousian game to exploit it in his own sector and less in the central sector for duels. However, the Dijon players' difficulties with depth at the exit of the crosses should also allow him to make an impact from a distance at the exit of the crosses around Casper Kall's strong points. Gonçalo Martins Vieira should also be at his best from distance in the same conditions as his right-back counterpart. Toulousain's attack should therefore overtake this defense and easily surpass the 35-goal mark. Especially as defences are often less physically committed in a final match before the break.
As for Dijon's attack, Bastien Khermouche's weakness in gaining position should make it easier for Bakary Diallo and Gabriel Nyembo, Toulousain's two defensive patrons, to work deep. The need to anchor the team on the inside in the face of these defenders will undoubtedly mean that, as the match progresses, we'll either have to play around them or force them to play on the inside and lose a lot of balls.
As we said earlier, we're expecting a big win for Fenix, with at least 35 goals on the board.

US IVRY HANDBALL VS DUNKERQUE HANDBALL GRAND LITTORAL, 20/12/23, CET 8.30PM

Focus on retention

Ivry, who sprang a surprise in the Francilien derby, need to keep up the momentum. But that's their biggest problem this season. It's maintaining and regularizing their performance. Dunkerque, on the other hand, are struggling. They remain stuck in the bottom half of the championship, but are gradually being caught up by the teams behind them. It's clear that Samir Bellacehne's departure has created a big void both in the cage and in the group. The redistribution of roles couldn't have been that easy. And the current results may well stem from this difficulty in accepting new roles.
As far as the game is concerned, Ivry's speedy attack could prove a real problem for the Dunkirkers. Indeed, they are up against a team that is dense but a little heavy on support. If they stop being neutralized and continue to maintain continuity in their play, Didier Dinard's players should find solutions between players after getting them moving.
This time, Dylan Garain could bring that impact from distance and score a lot against a defense that struggles to get out of duels with crosses. So it's up to Ivry not to bury the ball, and Dunkirk to try and make as many mistakes as possible.
As for the Dunkerquois attack, we should see them again leaning to the right with Tom Pelayo and Florian Billant. At the moment, the game is unbalanced from time to time, especially when the coaches rest Cornelius Kragh by removing the only left-back in training. But Wednesday should see them attacking Loredon's defense thanks to Jean Loup Faustin's duel skills and exploiting the surrounding area. Just as Schuichi Yoshida is expected to come to the fore this weekend. Ivry's defensive sequences lack the depth to avoid leaving the position to the pivot. When we talk about depth, we can mean under the block or over it to get in front.
In the end, a game with defensive weaknesses should open up a spectacular match with lots of goals and a hard-fought victory for Ivry.

LIMOGES HAND 87 VS US CRÉTEIL HANDBALL, 20/12/23, CET 8PM

Match totally undecided

Two irregular teams clash. So it's going to be hard to say how it's going to go. Limoges are coming off a great performance against Dunkerque, while Créteil failed at home to their direct rivals Ivry.
What's certain about this match is that it should be a great attacking affair. The 35-goal mark for both sides could be reached. The Cristoliens' fast-paced play should jeopardize Limoges' difficulties in retreating. Mario Lopez is likely to delight in the wide-open spaces, but Kylian Rigault is also likely to be on target again in the face of the central team's laxity on the break.
But will Créteil's enthusiasm be enough against Limoges' experience? Dragan Gajic, at 39, showed that he still has a lot left in the tank. After years as top scorer in this championship with Montpellier, he has just spent 10 of them with Dunkerque.
So it will all be a question of controlling the pace. If Limoges manage to control the pace and slow it down in phases, the match should be theirs. If, on the other hand, the game remains at a high standard, with a lot of possession, then Créteil will be at an advantage and win the duel. And we're leaning more towards this scenario because the match is on December 23. After half a season of hard work and commitment, the players tend, even unconsciously, to relax at the end of the year. The game should therefore be unbridled, resulting in a surprise victory for Créteil with plenty of goals on the board.

HBC NANTES VS MONTPELLIER HANDBALL 20/12/23, CET 8PM

Clash of the underdogs

PSG have been French champions for 9 years. So many years that MHB and H have been trying to dethrone them. And for so many years, they've been battling it out for second place in the Champions League. One year it's Nantes, the next it's Montpellier. And what about this year? PSG are certainly still champions, with a 3-point lead over their two rivals. But who will be in second place? A first indication should be given after this first opposition. Beaulieu is impregnable this season. That's what we might have said 3 days ago. But no, the arena is now open to victories by the visitors. What a wonderful Christmas present this home match before the holidays. The Palais des Sports will be packed and ready to raise its head. And it's all going to come down to control of the ball offensively. Any loss of the ball will be immediately punished by the opponent. So whoever loses the least amount of ball should win the match.
Montpellier's style of play, based on duels and a series of crosses, could be annihilated by the quality of Nantes' defenders. Brian Monte, who makes a huge difference on the counter-attack against opposing lefts, will be up against Jorge Maqueda, Nantes' right-back. Having extended his contract by a year, Maqueda's commitment and aggressiveness are defensively relevant. He should therefore reduce the impact of Nantes' left-back, but will be punished with a few exclusions during the match. We therefore believe that Montpellier could find themselves in trouble as the match progresses, against the Nantes defense. But will they be able to cause the same problems for Nantes? We don't think so, because Arthur Lenne, who defends alongside one of the best defenders in the league (voted best defender three times), is having trouble linking up. His legs are sorely lacking at this level. So the central defense could explode. We therefore expect Nantes to continue to find solutions throughout the match, and Montpellier to sin as the game goes on, losing balls and being punished for fast play. The match should therefore end in victory for Nantes, with more than 33 goals for each team and a narrow margin.

USAM NIMES GARD VS PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN HANDBALL 20/12/23, CET 8PM

Parnasse in fury

After a sluggish victory over Chartres, Nîmes now find themselves up against the league's ogre, PSG. If they are to make a difference, they will need to put their heart and soul into the match. And that's exactly what's going to happen in the Parnasse venue, which has seen a lot of exploits, with that Gardois, Nîmois spirit that nobody can take away from them.
We're going to see a USAM team fighting, making a lot of mistakes and helping each other out a lot. And the difference and the strength of the Parisians will lie in their ability to pass the ball and find the pivots on the inside, because technically, they naturally have this quality. Despite their aggressiveness, the Nimois are unlikely to be able to stop the ball. Spaces will open up as the game goes on, following Luc Steins' highlights. Despite their fervor, Nimes were likely to pick up a few balls at the start, but as the game wore on, Paris's control would become apparent.
As for the Parisian defense, this is a team that defends rather low. They should be tightening up their defense around Boïba Sissoko's duels, but leaving room for long-distance shooters. But Jannick Green's ability to read rear shooters with the help of his counter-attack should make a shooter like Mohab Abdelhak, Nîmes' right-back, struggle. For USAM, Quentin Minel would have to play a high-flying game to have any hope. But he's a player who has every chance of doing so. It may depend above all on his initial success. However, we think that despite Nîmes' heart, Paris's mastery will make the difference, with a 35-goal victory and a gap of around 5 goals.

SARAN LOIRET HB VS C’CHARTRES MÉTROPOLE HANDBALL, 20/12/23,CET 8PM

Surprise in sight

There's sure to be a surprise in the Orléans suburbs. We're certainly expecting Saran to win against the injured Chartres. Their injuries are currently putting them in jeopardy. The arrival of Wilson Davyes as a medical joker should provide some relief for Nebosja Stojinovic's offensive contribution. We should see him work on his duels and accompany Yvan Verin in his impact. We think they'll opt to play with three right-handers on one side of the pitch and with Sergiy Onufriyenko, who is coming off a fine 8 out of 10 performance against Nîmes. Despite everything, the absences cost them enormously. And Saran's flattened defense is likely to be pierced from afar by the aforementioned Ukrainian right-back, but as the game progresses, it will get the better of the lack of impact of some of the opposing players.
On the Saran attack, the game will continue to be played around Clément Damiani's time, certainly to attack the young pivot Jund, who is weak in duels, or his replacement. William Accambray is also likely to exploit this weak area, impacting from distance on the head of the same defender.
It remains to be seen whether new coach Jérémy Roussel's approach will benefit his team. His game intelligence should help Saran to make the most of the qualities of its players. We should therefore see a surprise Saran victory at the finish in a tight match to get their heads above water before the holidays. It would be a great Christmas present for them. Chartres, for their part, will have to make do with a month's break to care for their injured players, due to the European Championship.

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