Handball: Nantes draws hope in the Champions League

Having been trailing in Kielce for a long time, Nantes snatched a draw (28-28) on Wednesday during the 13th and penultimate day of the Champions League group stage, and can still dream of qualifying directly for the quarter-finals. Still third (16 pts), one point behind Aalborg, Nantes will clinch second place for the quarter-finals - Barcelona, ​​first, is already qualified - if they beat the Danish club at home on the final day on March 5.

In Kielce, finalists in 2022 and 2023 but in great difficulty this season (8 defeats for 4 successes before the match), Aymeric Minne's partners (5/8) relied on a last goal from Ayoub Abdi (4/6) to secure a draw, while they had been behind throughout the second half.

Despite having started well in the first half, which they led by four goals after a quarter of an hour of play, the Nantais faced the awakening of their Polish opponent, well helped by his French players Théo Monar and Dylan Nahi. Nahi, who also finished top scorer of the match (7/10), then gave his team the advantage for the first time shortly before the break (14-12 at half-time). An advantage that the evening's hosts made the most of after the break, still under the leadership of the Blues' left winger, who with less than 20 minutes to go, pushed Nantes back to five lengths (21-16).

Launched into a race against time, the Nantais managed to hang on. Ayoub Abdi, who distinguished himself in the last quarter of an hour, brought his teammates back to within a goal for the first time. And while Kielce seemed to respond each time to the attempts at a comeback by Valero Rivera (6/7) and his ilk, it was once again him, after a decisive save by Ignacio Biosca (11/39 at 28%), who went on to offer the goal of the draw to Nantes. And a very precious point.