LNH Proligue, Round 19

BILLÈRE HANDBALL PAU PYRÉNÉES VS MASSY ESSONNE HB 23/02/2024 - CET 19:30

Continuing the series
Billere, who are on a streak of 7 consecutive victories, continue to impress. Since they learned about the change of coach next year, the team has only been winning. The president may have some regrets when seeing the quality of play from the Billere team at the moment. But perhaps the pressure is reduced for the coach, making him more inclined to produce game without pressure. Despite the difficulties they may have faced in Angers, they managed the money time well with the necessary experience in those moments. And this time they face Massy, who are also in good form at the moment despite their defeat against the formidable Tremblay team. This does not allow us to judge a decline in form.

Two beautiful offensive teams will therefore face each other. A Billere team that either plays around the strong moments of Valentin Doudeau or strings together crosses to set their backs in motion or create a central focal point to finish on the outside. This expansive play can cause problems for Massy, who naturally defend far apart from each other. But when the game is not stretched, cooperation comes correctly and nullifies any gaps. On the other hand, when the game is very expansive, cooperation will be more complex or must be done in an anticipatory manner, thus facilitating the opponent's reading. Billere should therefore remain within their standards with over 30 goals to their credit.

On the other hand, Massy has a similar approach but with a desire to shoot more frequently from the central long range. They certainly have players like Thibault Chevalier to be effective, but the opposing defensive pair does not hesitate to make an impact. The only downside is that they are sometimes late in the impact. But Alexandre Aguilar's experience leads to making the right choices throughout the match thanks to his knowledge of the game. Massy should also be successful offensively.

But the Billere experience will make the difference and lead to Billere's victory by a small margin in the final minutes. A victory around 30 to 28 is expected. This would make it an 8th consecutive victory. But when will they stop?


JS CHERBOURGEOISE MANCHE HB VS CAEN HANDBALL 24/02/2024 - CET 13:45

Great Normandy derby
A Normandy derby as we like them. The arena will be full and buzzing in Cherbourg for the reception of Caen this Saturday afternoon. Cherbourg, who are on an excellent streak, notably secured a high-flying victory against Sélestat, a contender for promotion. Meanwhile, Caen had a tough time against Istres but ultimately lost by 3 goals. Caen seems to have recovered from their troubles. Now they just need to confirm and succeed in winning matches. A derby like this is what we love.

And every match will be crucial for Caen, who remain 2 points behind Angers for survival. But will Caen's defense survive Cherbourg's assaults? Nicolas Bono continues his festival in this championship and gets the better of all opposing defenses. It's a pleasure to see him shoot from the hip and send his shots into the opponent's top corners. His play should therefore pose difficulties for Caen's central defense. They, who struggle against duels, will have to make choices. Indeed, if they come out too much to put pressure on Nicolas, they will open up relations with Paul Louis Guiraudou, the man in form at the moment. His good grip and turns make him a great offensive weapon. And the fact that he is left-handed also surprises defenders who are not used to his positions. Cherbourg's attack should therefore outdo Caen's defense.

But they will also need to reduce the offensive impact. Cherbourg's backcourt players are currently in good form. And that's Cherbourg's weakness. Cooperation is reduced, often leaving space for opposing backcourt players to finish between two defenders. Allan Villeminot should be able to exploit his long-distance shots and his movement in the outer 1-2. His off-the-ball game should keep Thomas Loppy, the central defender, on his toes. Caen's attack, through its backcourt players and Jordan Allais's movements, should also put pressure on the defense of Edu Fernandez's men.

So, both attacks should dominate. But the quality of Nicolas Gauthier in goal should allow Cherbourg to prevail with more than 32 goals on the scoreboard.


FRONTIGNAN THAU HANDBALL VS SARREBOURG MOSELLE SUD HANDBALL, 23/02/24 CET 17:30

Reverse scenario?

Frontignan had a weekend without a match to reboot the system. They have been struggling since the beginning of 2024, seemingly not recovering well from the holidays, as evidenced by their three defeats in their last three matches. Will they bounce back against the team they kick-started? The story would be beautiful. Indeed, Sarrebourg is undergoing an incredible comeback, stringing together victories, starting with their win against... you guessed it, Frontignan. Their latest victory shows they now have great confidence, with a management of the money time that allowed them to win by one goal against Cournon.

However, attention should be paid to the minor setbacks that occurred in this match: the injury of Clément Esparon and the slight injury of Noah Bardou. This may bring some difficulties, especially in the left-back position, although these injuries do not seem extremely serious. Sarrebourg is expected to penetrate Frontignan's defense through Louis Despreaux and his long- distance shots. It's impossible to have a goalkeeper-related defense with these three small-sized players. The goalkeeper will thus be left to fend for himself in this duel. However, we believe that Kevin Mesnard will make the difference in this match with his exploits.

Consequently, we should see Nathy Camara once again becoming the top scorer, thanks to his counterattacks. And if not him, it will be Gaëtan Canton against his former team.

Therefore, we expect a reversal of fortunes and a victory for Frontignan thanks to a great performance from their goalkeeper. If he is not up to the task, Sarrebourg will continue their journey against one of the weakest defenses in the championship.


STRES PROVENCE HANDBALL VS GRAND BESANÇON DOUBS HANDBALL, 23/02/2024 - CET 19:00


Back to the source
An incredible development last week was the signing of Vincent Gérard as goalkeeper for Istres. He replaces Xoan Leoz, who is heading to Spain. It's remarkable to have an international goalkeeper in the Proligue. Recently released by Kiel, he decided to sign with one of his former clubs, Istres, with whom he had won the Coupe de la Ligue in Miami. It's a return to his roots to rediscover the enthusiasm and joy of playing. Hopefully, he won't be solely focused on the Olympics to conclude his career, but rather on enjoying himself and helping Istres return to the Starligue. It would be a fitting end to his career. Despite criticism in the last match and his 15% save rate, it was after almost 6 months without playing. So let's give him some time, but we believe he can help his club with a good attitude.

We also believe that he should immediately surpass a 40% save rate against Besançon and help his team win against them. Besançon is coming off a good victory against Valence, with their right winger Mathis Beauchef scoring 12 goals. His unconventional journey, with few believers after leaving Nantes, is proving that he's a great Prologue player, especially effective with penalty shots. However, fortunately for Istres, his performances alone should not be enough to overcome Istres and their offensive squad. The danger comes from everywhere in Istres' lineup. It's worth noting only the injury to Matt Lafleur, who is still sidelined.

In conclusion, Istres should win with more than 32 goals on the scoreboard while keeping Besançon to 26 goals.


PONTAULT-COMBAULT HANDBALL VS SÉLESTAT ALSACE HANDBALL, 23/02/2024 CET 19:30

Absentees are always wrong

Sélestat has just lost their second place to Pontault and could reclaim it by winning against them. They are currently two points behind the Parisians. An absence in Sélestat that hurts. It's that of Hugo Pimenta, the right-back who will soon join Chambéry. His replacement, Quentin Heymann, was less prominent this time. So Tom Vinatier finds himself somewhat alone in the offensive impact. Pontault Combault's central defense should therefore once again take the upper hand. Considering the limited threat posed by Sélestat's pivots, Guillaume Saurina's men can deepen their defense to impact the opposing back players. But this is not necessarily due to the pivots but more to the lack of passers who struggle to read open situations. They are therefore underserved compared to the opportunities available. Pontault should thus be able to implement their fast-paced game and launch their two arrows. The two wingers, responsible for 19 goals between them last weekend, namely Elio Zammit on the left wing and Alex Moran on the right wing, with 13 and 6 goals respectively last Friday. And they should reproduce a similar performance thanks to their defense. The score gap will therefore be established in open play. Because in set attack, Pontault will continue to face problems. Indeed, there is little danger posed around Hugo Lima. Lilian Pasquet, the right-back, has not been able to regain his level from Dijon. Likely lacking confidence, he no longer takes any responsibility. Perhaps Guillaume Saurina should create movement for him and restore his confidence. He will need it if he wants to move up to the Starligue. Sélestat's defense should therefore take the upper hand in set attack. But this will not be enough against the difference made in open play. Pontault Combault should therefore win with more than 33 goals on the scoreboard. However, Sélestat should get closer to around 30 goals themselves.


TREMBLAY-EN-FRANCE HANDBALL VS HANDBALL CLUB COURNON D’AUVERGNE, 23/02/2024 CET 19:30

The royal road
Tremblay continues quietly on its path until securing its ticket to the Liqui Moly Starligue. They easily won against a team in good form at the moment. A victory of 37-28 that showcases their offensive potential in all aspects. This time, they face Cournon, who has been struggling more recently. After a very convincing start to the season, they are now 11th, 4 points away from relegation. And their frustrating defeat against Sarrebourg is not reassuring. The management of the money time was not correct. You can still feel the youthfulness of this team at this level.

And yet, Marjan Kolev has made some new choices. No more pairing of Zacharia N'Diaye with Robin Dourte in the 3-back. Their lack of mobility was detrimental to them. So he has chosen to systematically pair Adjiri Corcher with one of the other two. His great mobility reduces the possibilities of isolating the central sector. But the principle remains the same. And Tremblay's quality should be reflected in significant central focal points by Nicolas Claire or Matteo Fadhuile, followed by exploitation in the external areas by Antoine Leger, the right back for Tremblay. This attack should therefore once again take the upper hand and score more than 35 goals.

And in defense, Tremblay should take advantage of the lack of long-range shooters on Cournon's side. Only Nori Benhalima could make a difference, but his runs are a bit slow and should allow for adjustments by the defense and the goalkeeper to work on reading his powerful shots.

So, no surprises expected but rather a wide victory for Tremblay by more than 10 goals. The latter will therefore step by step approach their golden ticket.


VALENCE HANDBALL VS NANCY HANDBALL, 23/02/2024 CET 19:30

Quagmire match
Nancy, who had a good start to the season, is inexorably sliding down the rankings. They are now 8th with 15 points. With 4 defeats in 4 matches, nothing seems to be going right. The president must be wondering if he should change the coach immediately. But perhaps he has not yet found a replacement and is therefore waiting until the end of the year. However, a surprise could occur in the weeks to come. Nancy is traveling this time to Valence, a team that is getting the results it needs to stay in the league. But their style of play is not the most pleasing to watch. Two teams, therefore, playing in an old- fashioned manner and with significant offensive weaknesses.

The match should be very slow-paced, with both teams rarely exploiting the game in open spaces. One can imagine a match that does not exceed 28 goals, with little possession for each team.
The disruption of Valence's rhythm should not, therefore, perturb Nancy this time because they possess the same style of play. The difference, for once, should therefore be made in the quality of the players. And in this regard, Nancy does not lack talent. Rohnan Conte Prat, leading the charge, should once again be the top scorer for his team. His mobility despite his tall stature makes him a challenging player to defend against. He can impact from afar, but if the defenders spread out, he has very good one-on-one skills on the outside. Faced with Valence's central difficulties, he should therefore enjoy himself. Another player expected to make an impact this time is Antoine Blanc, who should finally surpass 6 goals. Playing both as a right-back and a left-back, his physical strength should allow him to win all his duels.

Therefore, we should not expect the match of the century. It will be a duel where each possession will be of significant value. In the end, Nancy should emerge victorious 28-26 thanks to the individual qualities of its squad.