A week after the demonstration at home against the same Portuguese (33-19), PSG is back on Thursday evening (8:45 p.m.) against Porto in Portugal.
Despite a complicated start in the Champions League with already three defeats on the clock, the Parisians can achieve a good operation in case of victory.
Repeat last week's move
Just a week ago, the Parisians were brilliant.
They even came close to breaking a competition record for goals conceded in a single half.
A week ago at the break, Porto had scored only 4 goals (18-5).
Vincent Gérard, the Olympic champion goalkeeper, had stopped 9 of the 15 Portuguese shots on target.
The record for the lowest number of goals conceded in one half is still held by the Germans in Kiel against Matalurg Skopje in 2015. That day, the Germans returned to the locker room having only taken three goals (17 -3).
If the Parisian defense is still as effective this Thursday evening, the match will be, like the previous one, quickly folded.
It's going better in the standings
In this Champions League, Paris is not always at the party. Invincible in the Starligue, PSG is not at the continental level. “Nothing serious, remembers Luka Karabatic, the Champions League is a long-distance race. “The previous success against Porto, however, allowed PSG to get closer to the first two places in Group A which directly qualify for the quarter-finals.
With the defeats of Veszprém (at Zaporozhye, 29-27) and Barcelona (at home against Kielce, 30-32), Paris is only two units away from the second row occupied by the Catalans.
"We have to limit the number of defeats and we can still finish first in our group" recalls Luka Karabatic.
In the event of another victory in Porto, Paris could get even closer to these two qualifying places before receiving Kielce in a week and a certain Dylan Nahi.
4 matches to close Round 8. After yesterday's excitement, more drama today!
🔥🔝
18: 45h
👉 @HandbalDinamoRO vs @SGFleHa
👉 @telekomveszprem vs #HCMotor
20: 45h
👉 @FCPorto vs @psghand
👉 @HCVardar vs @pickhandball
🕠 are CET
📺 EHFTV pic.twitter.com/vSLDfrjyBP
- EHF Champions League (@ehfcl) November 25, 2021
Porto, not so easy
But be careful in Porto anyway.
Last week's game is not indicative of the strength of this team which, in its opinion, had played in Coubertin one of its worst games in a long time.
Last season, Paris and Porto were already in the same pool.
The Portuguese had posed a lot of problems for the Parisians in the first leg in their hall.
Led by four lengths at rest (16-12), they came back with much better intentions and completely turned the situation around.
Paris had won the forceps (31-34).
Punished 8 days ago, Porto will come back with better intentions, that's for sure.
