Paris Saint Germain proved to be too strong for a PPD Zagreb side that was chasing an end to their losing away run in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League, a run that is nearing six years.
The Croatian side were unable to contain Paris' offensive variety, illustrated by Kamil Syprzak, who finished as leading scorer with nine goals in Paris' 40 :31 win.
The French side put their foot to the pedal in the first half, breaking away on the scoreboard to reach the break with an eight-goal lead, which was more than they needed to control the pace of the game in the second half.
GROUP A :
Paris Saint Germain (FRA) vs HC PPD Zagreb (CRO) 40:31 (22:14)
- if Zagreb showed strong resistance at the start of the game, it lasted only 10 minutes, as Paris scored a 7:2 run to take a first seven-goals lead
- goalkeeper Jannick Green was central for the hosts, stopping seven shots while Kamil Syprzak scored five to help Paris lead by eight at the break (22:14)
- while Zagreb came back within five in the middle of the second half, Paris' grip on the game was too tight and the French side broke away again in the last quarter
- Ferran Sole Sala found his form in the second half, scoring five, including four fastbreaks that put Paris ahead by 10
- Kamil Syprzak was the game's best scorer, with nine goals, while Timur Dibirov, Aleks Kavcic and Csaba Leimeter netted four times for Zagreb
Paris too fast for Zagreb
We've known it for ages now, Zagreb are more comfortable when the game is slow and are able to control the pace.
That is exactly what they did in the first 10 minutes before Paris decided to raise the intensity. Zagreb lost their grip, unable to play at a tempo as high as their opponent. Paris did not have to do much, a couple of saves and good defences were enough.
We played a very good game and it was an important win at home. We pushed all game long and the performance was great and at a high level. We have to continue to play like that as we still have one game before the international break. Our goal is to finish in the two first spots of the group. We are focused on that objective. I’m happy to pass the mark of 100 goals in the Champions League, it’s always good news. But the more important thing is victory.
