Handball: “still a good result”, PSG and Barcelona back to back
Inaccessible parking spaces around the gymnasium, making latecomers unhappy, a packed room (3223 spectators) for a raucous evening, the Ultras singing: no doubt, this Thursday was a great match at the Pierre-de. Coubertin Stadium. There was even the best on the handball planet.
Regardless of the volume of the ball, the clash between PSG and FC Barcelona is never a match like any other. Sticks that small ball in the country maybe less. PSG-Barca is a guarantee that France’s Olympic champion team will be a few meters away from you. Paris side left, Nikola Karabatic, Nedim Remili, Vincent Gérard and Yann Genty. Right side Barça, Dika Mem, Timothey N’Guessan, Melvyn Richardson and Ludovic Fabregas. Yes, the casting is not bad. Luka Karabatic, a victim of thigh pain, remained in the stands.
PSG-Barcelona is also a rivalry between a team that wants the European championship more than anything else and a club that has already won the Champions League 10 times. Who is holding the trophy somewhere in Catalonia after winning the Final Four in Cologne last June.
Barcelona bends but does not break
No, nothing was missing in the capital’s 16th arrondissement this Thursday evening. Perhaps nothing but a slightly more important stake, since it was a “simple” game of chickens. At the end of this interminable group stage, it will only be used to determine the ranking of the two giants, who will both obviously go into the round of 16 of the competition or, if all goes well, directly into the quarters. It should be noted that the first two of the group will directly qualify for the big eight. The challenge for Paris was above all to score hits, to hit the mood and especially the competition. Because even when you’re called PSG, it’s rare to beat Barcelona. This happened only once, in November 2016. Otherwise, Barcelona wins every time. It’s time to change that.
But this has not changed yet: PSG, facing the Catalan sofa, has not ended the 5-year drought. But he was not defeated. Still, he tried to do better. How? First by suffocating Barça in yellow. Vincent Gérard’s stoppages, Ferran Sole’s PSG’s Spanish… Collecting it, Barcelona quickly took the magnificent goals from Paris (8-4, 12). But Barcelona, who did a little work not to panic, stabilized the score (13-9, 20th) and even minutes passed before the break (17-15). There was no question of slowing down for Paris at the start of the second period. Unfortunately, PSG softened. As soon as he left the dressing room (20-17, 35th) he took the small mattress. However, it is not enough to demoralize the remaining European champions who are expecting the slightest French letdown. This happened due to “Barcelona” taking the lead (20-21.41). Then everything became tense, indecisive, muscular, tight. PSG (23-24, 50th), Barcelona in front (23-26, 52nd). PSG broke their noses at the Catalan defense before drawing (28-28), which is not the worst news for Paris 4th, who are tied with the Spaniards in Group B. Nikola Karabatic smiles: “I don’t care about ratings.” At first glance, we can blame ourselves for this draw. We were playing well, but on the other hand, looking at the last five minutes, we were three goals behind, which is a good result in the end. We fought until the end with some strange refereeing decisions. It was a good show for the public and in the end we are happy. Nedim Remili says nothing else. “It was a tough game, but still a good result,” he says. Closing the gap at the end of the match was essential for the rest of the adventure. »
PSG’s next game in the Champions League will take place after the European Championship at the beginning of 2022. But this is not the reason why Parisians go on vacation. The Star League is already waiting for them. On Wednesday they will play in Nantes. Here, Nantes-PSG was the poster child for last spring’s Champions League minor final in Cologne. If PSG wins the next match against their most serious rival, they will almost always be the champions of France. A consolation before Christmas.
