After two losses in the last two rounds, Motor were eager to get back to their winning ways against Paris, a team that had beaten them twice over the years in the EHF Champions League.

But the French side, fresh from a draw in Flensburg in the last round, did not see it that way. Thanks to Nikola Karabatic, they cruised away in the first half, before controlling the pace of the game in the second, to take their second home win of the season.

GROUP B

Paris Saint-Germain HB (FRA) vs HC Motor Zaporozhye (UKR) 40:32 (19:14)

• the two sides were neck-and-neck in the first 20 minutes, but Nikola Karabatic’s arrival on the court turned things Paris’ way
• Motor played level again with Paris in the first 10 minutes of the second half, controlling the gap to four goals and keeping alive the possibility of a comeback – but just like before, Nikola Karabatic pulled Paris out of the trap
• the advantage reached a maximum of nine goals several times, but never crossed the 10-goals bar
• Paris’ win was definitely a team affair, as Mikkel Hansen scored six while three players netted five times
• Paris are now fourth in the group with five points while Motor are second last with two points

Nikola Karabatic, Paris’ detonator

The legendary French centre back might be 37 years old now, but his experience helps him turn things around in a game.

On Thursday, after Paris struggled to shake off Motor’s resistance for 20 minutes, his energy and accuracy was decisive for his team. With three goals in 10 minutes plus three assists, Paris took a five-goal half-time lead.

And Karabatic repeated the same pattern after the break, taking the team on his back in the first quarter of the second half before returning to the bench. Job done.