Things in handball change: PSG Handball favorite against Kiel!

Can the superstars from Paris leaded by Hansen and Karabatic prove the favorite role of PSG Handball against Kiel in the Sparkassen-Arena?

The EHF Champions League is finally starting in the upcoming weekend and it seems there is no better way for the initiation into the new season then with a league’s derby match in the legendary Sparkassen-Arena-Kiel in Schleswig-Holstein. THW Kiel is hosting Paris Saint-Germain Handball in the first round of the Group A in the EHF Champions League 2016/17. A few years ago it would have been out of question who the favorite in the match is. However, nowadays many would consider the Saints from Paris to be favorites even in the Sparkassen. Whether this is not too optimistic for PSG is something we should find out at Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile let’s see what this two giants of today’s handball have to offer.

THW Kiel: waiting for the old shine to emerge again

When we are talking about THW Kiel we are talking always in superlatives and in titles. Nowadays we have the impression that the three times European Champion seem to wait too much already for the 4th European crown. The team from last year appeared to many as capable of achieving much more then it did, especially after the brilliant performance against Barcelona in the quarter final. However instead of the top Kiel didn’t make it to the final match in the Champions League and “surprisingly” lost the title in the Handball Bundesliga.

And while this would certainly be in the list of “successes” of any handball team in Europe, for THW Kiel, the twenty times German champion, this is on the “fail” list. Thus the season that comes for the zebras seems to be one in which Gislasson and Co. will definitely have to return to the club the old shine of the champion’s years. So far, they already lost one match in the HBL by Wetzlar in the third round, 27:24.

• Kiel in search for the old glory

• PSG satisfied with nothing but the EHFCL trophy

• Sparkassen to witness a great derby

The Champions League is certainly another type of competition, and PSG another class of opponent, but some parallels and indication in regard of the game can plausibly be done. And on that plan, although the base of the team works together for at least two years, certain things still have to be improved, in the communication in attack and defense, so that the team gains again the old character of “invincibility”.

This year, as internet betting sites in Germany note, they will have only minor changes in the squad. After the leave of Dominik Klein, THW Kiel found a new winger in the Austrian Raul Santos coming from Gummersbach. Zeitz also returned to team after the Veszprem excursion, while the young Lukas Nilson will try to show his full potentials in the back line, replacing Joan Canellas who departed to Vardar Skopje. If they want to help Kiel in passing on a good position the hell of a group they have in the Champions League this year, then without any doubt, all of them will have to give far more than what we usually see.

PSG Handball ready for the title in the EHF Champions League

Unlike Kiel, Paris seems to be one of the top three favorites for winning the Champions league this year, more or less in everybody’s eyes. As online sportsbooks in France mention, the first years of integration of the team seem to be behind, the game is consolidated with the leadership of Noka Serdarusic, the celebrated ex-Kiel coach, and the super-star collective slowly approaches the desired trophy.

Uwe Gensheimer is the latest acquisition of the team from Paris which completes an amazing starting seven of the Saints with: Omeyer on the goal, Gensheimer and Abalo on the wing positions, Luka Karabatic on the pivot position and a back line composed of Mikkel Hansen, Nikola Karabatic and Luka Stepancic. The team of the famous Noka Serdarusic is certainly a dream team but that brings lots of responsibility, meaning that nothing except the triple crown in France and the Champions League trophy would be sufficient for the Saints this year

The betting odds of the match: THW Kiel-Paris Saint-Germain Handball

All of you fans of bet on sports in EU should definitely take a look at the betting odds offered for the match. Online sportsbooks in Austria such as bwin provides 2.50 odds to THW Kiel for the win, while for Paris Saint-Germain the odds for victory are 1.72. The draw between these two teams is evaluated by the Austrian bookies on incredible 9.75. The bet365 betting sport tz section offers similar odds for the European derby. To the current German vice-champions Kiel they give a bit higher betting odds of 2.60 for a win, while Paris Saint-Germain Handball are estimated on 1.75. The draw between the two power houses is estimated on 9.50.