07.04.2022, 10:30
Paris cruise past Elverum on the road to the quarter-finals

PLAY-OFFS REVIEW: After getting a draw in the first leg at home, the Norwegian could do nothing against the French offence tonight

Paris players came back somewhat disappointed after their draw in Elverum a week ago, and you could feel the desire to set things straight tonight, right from throw-off.

And set things straight, Paris did, helped by great performances on both sides of the court, which helped them find the way to victory again.

Once the hosts had taken a six-goal advantage at the break, they tightened their grip on the game, with Kamil Syprzak and Dainis Kristopans scoring seven each. The home players could celebrate their qualification for the quarter-finals after the final whistle, as this is the eighth-straight time Paris has reached that stage of the competition in the EHF Champions League.

PLAY-OFFS, SECOND LEG

Paris Saint-Germain HB (FRA) vs Elverum Handball (NOR) 37:30 (20:14)

(Aggregate: Paris win 67:60)

• thanks to Dainis Kristopans and Kamil Syprzak, Paris took an early lead, but never really managed to shake off Elverum’s resistance before the 20th minute
• Yann Genty, who saved seven shots in the first half alone, was instrumental in Paris breaking away on the scoreboard before the break
• once they had created a gap, Paris focused on maintaining it, keeping out of Elverum's reach, despite Stig-Tore Moen Nielsen finishing as best scorer of the game with ten goals
• Paris will play against THW Kiel in the quarter-finals, just as they did last season

Paris, the "shadow men" in the spotlight

When you think about Paris Saint-Germain, you might think about Nikola Karabatic, Vincent Gérard or Nédim Rémili, but maybe not immediately about Dainis Kristopans or Kamil Syprzak. Tonight, these "shadow men" kept Paris ahead in the first half, scoring a combined nine goals, while Yann Genty was pulling out seven saves. To go far in the Champions League, you need stars and also a bench, which Paris proved tonight.

TEXT: EHF / Kevin Domas