Handball. Paris Saint-Germain were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Barça

Paris SG handball was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Champions League by FC Barcelona, ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

With three goals after a quarter (11-8) and then five at half-time (17-12), the Parisians were never able to put the Catalans in doubt, despite a two-goal comeback in the last quarter (26-24, 48′). Then a goal three minutes from the end (30-29). They led the law to the partners of Dika Mem, who perfectly played his role as spearhead (7 goals in 8 shots) and captain, urging Palau Blaugrana to loud support on several occasions.

Semi-finalists last season, the Parisians exit the Champions League ahead of the Final Four in Cologne (June 7-8) at the end of a bumpy European season. Where they were thrown into the jaws of Barça after having to go through the playoffs (as in 2022, where they had already been eliminated in the quarters, by Kiel) and only finished third in their group.

Beaten five times (in 14 days) in the group stage, the Parisians also suffered a stinging setback 10 days ago in the final of the Coupe de France, crushed by Nantes at Bercy (31-23).

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PSG presented itself during its double confrontation against Barça reduced by injuries, which deprived it of its two left wings, Mathieu Grébille (ankle) and David Balaguer (calf), still too tight on Thursday. Elohim Prandi, who kept the ship afloat on Thursday (13/10), injured his ankle in the first minutes of the trip. And on the way back it was goalkeeper Andras Palicka who was missing, hit in the back.

The workforce in question

The Parisian club has also since the start of the year been deprived of a second professional right-back, to support Kent Robin Tonnesen, following Dominik Mathé’s serious knee injury with Hungary’s selection at the EC in January. The Parisian leaders have not employed a medical wildcard in this position where Egypt international Yahia Omar will play next season.

They also lost the Jacob Holm venture: hired last summer, the Danish international centre-back or left-back never managed to establish himself in a squad that was a bit tight in quality and quantity.

Certain choices made by Spanish coach Raul Gonzalez may also have been worrying, such as the decision to do without Nikola Karabatic for almost the entire second half against Barça in the first half, while Prandi (left-back) was injured and Luc Steins appeared to be showing signs of fatigue in the middle.

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Karabatic, the handball legend who is retiring this summer, played the last European match of his rich career, crowned with three Champions Leagues. Including one with the Catalan club (2015), where he spent two seasons and who paid tribute to him before the game.