After the black week in the Champions League, Paris-Saint-Germain and Montpellier found the taste of victory in the Championship on Sunday. Barcelona exits (22-30, 30-31 in the second leg) at the gates of the Final Four, PSG needed to win in Dijon to close the gap with Nantes, who came back to one point behind his success the day before against Chambéry (34-26). Mission accomplished for Raul Gonzalez’s boys (38-31). But the seven goal difference ultimately masks the great resistance of the red lantern.
Full of desire, the Dijonnais scored in particular a nice goal on the kung fu finished by Mathis Jaffiol (8 goals) to get back to two goals halfway through the first act (11-9, 16th). Ruben Marchan (10 goals at 100% shooting) and Luka Karabatic (2) then gave PSG a breath of fresh air (18-13, 27th). After the break, Raul Gonzalez’s players experienced a major scare with the spectacular fall of their central defender Luc Steins against the barriers.
Montpellier is also recovering
Unintentionally hit by Bastien Kermouche, the Dutchman held his head before getting up, grimacing and then continuing play. On a more positive note, PSG recorded the return of Mathieu Grébille, recovered from his calf injury. Still in tension with a quarter of an hour to go (27-24, 44th), Paris relied on Léo Plantin and his success in the throw from seven meters (3 out of 3) and on Marchan to make Dijonnais fold. PSG has a three-point lead over Nantes in the standings and is ever closer to the title with three matchdays left in the championship.
Montpellier completes the podium and maintains a slim hope of reaching the H in case of a serial misstep from the second place. The MHB, overthrown in Kiel (21-31, 39-30 victory in the first leg), won against Saran (33-27). Patrice Canayer’s players took off in the second half (from 18-14 to 22-15) without worrying. In goal, Rémi Desbonnet made 18 saves, double the number of the opposing goalkeeping duo (Yann Genty and Ivan Panjan) while Sebastian Karlsson and Alexis Berthier (5 goals each) fueled the scoring.