Europe 1 with AFP 11:27 p.m., December 08, 2022
Nantes, despite the absence of its two titular goalkeepers, offered a good resistance to the Germans of Kiel in their room before finally giving in (37-33), Thursday during the 9th day of the Champions League.
Nantes are now in fourth place in the standings.
Nantes was dominated this Thursday evening in the group stage of the Champions League on the floor of Kiel (33-37).
The "H" thus mortgages its chances of finishing in one of the first two places in Group B, which qualify for the quarter-finals without going through the play-off box: it is five points behind the leader, FC Barcelona ( 17 pts), and four on Kielce.
The Nantes, however almost guaranteed to see the play-offs (places 3 to 6), will play their all for the quarters against the Catalans next week at home.
They will probably still be without their two goalkeepers, Ivan Pesic (adductors) and Viktor Hallgrimsson (elbow), unless the latter recovers more quickly than expected from his injury.
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Led 20-18 at half-time, Nantes never managed to return to equality, despite the inspirations of their Slovenian playing master Rok Obvnicek, in shooting (5/6) and in distribution.
Left-backs Alexandre Cavalcanti (3/5) and right-back Jorge Maqueda (2/4) were less successful, and the "H" paid for a few hasty shots or easy ball losses that prevented him from picking up.
As in the 53rd minute: returned to a length (31-30), the partners of Valero Rivera took in stride a quick goal then another on a ball lost by Linus Persson (33-30).
A little over a minute later, an opportunity to come back to a length was wasted by Baptiste Damatrin-Bertrand, hampered on a counter-attack by a German defense at the limit of the fault.
The "H", winner of eight goals in the first leg (38-30), however managed to maintain the particular difference over the German club.