Kiel's handball players win Champions League match against Paris
Record handball champions THW Kiel remain top of the table in preliminary round Group A of the Champions League. The North Germans celebrated a 26:24 (15:10) home win over French champions Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday and now lead the standings with 13:5 points. The best scorers of the game were Niclas Ekberg with five goals for Kiel and Mathieu Grebille with six goals for PSG.
Against his French compatriots, THW goalkeeper Samir Bellahcene was wide awake right from the start. Before Paris made it 1:5 in the seventh minute, the 28-year-old already had seven saves to his name. When the visitors then got into the game better and reduced the deficit to 5:6 (11th minute) and 8:9 (20th minute), Kiel countered ice-coldly and went into half-time with a five-goal lead.
However, the break hurt the home side's flow, with coach Filip Jicha now fielding a seventh player. Paris became more and more assured and took the lead for the first time in the 41st minute with a counter-attack goal by David Balaguer into Kiel's empty net to make it 19:18.
Both teams made numerous technical mistakes and missed shots as the game progressed. Paris only managed to score once more in the final eight minutes of the game, with the result that Kiel ultimately ran out deserved home winners.
In the thrilling Champions League match, Men's handball champions THW Kiel triumphed over Paris Saint-Germain, securing their spot at the top of Group A with a 13-point lead. As the Men from THW Kiel continue their Champion League journey, they will look forward to their next match in the prestigious Champions League for Men.
Source: www.dpa.com
