Over the past six seasons, French handball has managed to place at least one club in the Final 4 of the men's C1 five times.

Last year, they were two with Paris and Nantes.

And three in Cologne in 2018, the year of the coronation of Montpellier in front of Nantes and Paris.

For the 2022 version of the Champions League, the challenge is immense both for the MHB, dominated in the first leg in the Hérault (31-28), and for the PSG, neutralized in its room (30-30).

"The match is not over, there is still one left. We have to manage to raise our level of play," said Montpellier coach Patrice Canayer, convinced that his team is able to reverse the situation by Poland.

"Overall, we produced some interesting things. I think we can hold them in the second leg. To get to the semi-finals of the Champions League, you have to take up big challenges. This one doesn't scare us “, proclaims the technician of the only French club titled in the competition (2003, 2018).

Montpellier will have to beat Kielce and its formidable workforce by four goals, or by three goals if they score more than 31 in Poland on Wednesday evening (8:45 p.m.).

"You will have to keep a cool head, stay in the game and hold on. The more time passes, the more the pressure will change sides. Playing in front of your audience can sometimes be a handicap", hopes Canayer.

Nantes' course last season can be a source of inspiration for the Héraultais: in April 2021, Alberto Entrerios' men lost by one goal at home in the round of 16 at home, before winning. in Kielce by three goals.

Paris facing the "White Wall"

This season, the Kielce team completed the first phase of the C1 at the head of an extremely tough group with FC Barcelona, ​​Paris SG and Veszprem, regulars in the semi-finals in past seasons.

Nikola Karabatic with PSG in a Champions League match against Elverum in Norway, March 30, 2022 Geir Olsen NTB/AFP/Archives

And at home, Talant Dujshebaev's players did not lose a single game, each time winning by three or more goals.

His son, Alex Dujshebaev, was a real poison in the first leg at Bougnol (seven goals and only one failure), and will once again be the player to master for the Montpellier defense.

The MHB recovers left-handed rear Julien Bos for this return match, while captain Valentin Porte, victim of a contracture in a calf three and a half weeks ago, gradually regains his level.

The mission of the Parisians in Kiel on Thursday evening (8:45 p.m.) is hardly less demanding, since Raul Gonzalez's players can settle for a draw if they score more than 30 goals, or a victory of one goal .

At Coubertin in the first leg, the Zèbres de Kiel dominated extremely physical debates, but the Parisians hung on to snatch the draw and keep their hopes of qualifying for a sixth Final 4 in seven seasons.

"Paris, it was only the first half, it's now 0-0 and we have to win to be sure of going to Cologne", host city of the Final Four, slipped the Croatian captain of Kiel Domagoj Duvnjak.

The Parisians already in the Finbal Four of the Champions League in Cologne, June 13, 2021 Ina Fassbender AFP / Archives

Kiel has two additional advantages compared to the quarter-final lost last year: to play the return home and to evolve in front of its supporters (up to 13,500).

"The + White Wall + must be hot and we want to win in front of and for this white wall," said Norwegian left-back Harald Reinkind.

© 2022 AFP