Tonight, the women from Nice hosted the players of Metz. A real test against the leader of the Ligue Butagaz Énergie.
The matchup was promising. The fourth-ranked team was hosting the championship leader. Although OGC Nice recently suffered a surprise defeat in the French Cup against Besançon, their opponent of the day hadn’t lost a single match this season. With ten victories in as many games, the Messines arrived as overwhelming favorites.
The objective was to see if this team could compete with the best in French handball. The first half provided a good example. The women from Nice seized their opportunity. Set in motion by Wendy Semedo Monteiro and Marija Colic, they held their ground. Marie-Hélène Sajka (7 goals) even gave her teammates the lead. Solid in defense, the red and blacks managed to take a three-goal lead after a penalty by captain Marine Dupuis (5 goals). The key players showed up in the early moments of the match. Then, the Messine goalkeeper, Cléopâtre Darleux, well-known to everyone, sprang into action. The French champion made three consecutive saves, wiping out the Azuréennes’ lead. Well-supported by an impressive team, she helped Metz take the lead at halftime (14-16).
Queen Cléopâtre disheartens OGC Nice
In the second half, Nice succumbed to the prowess of Cléopâtre Darleux. With 17 saves, the player with more than 200 caps for the French team stifled the women from Nice. On the other side, Marija Colic and Nicole Wiggins also played well with seven and three saves respectively, but there was nothing to be done. After stopping half of the shots from each of the local players, the Messine goalkeeper could rely on her teammates’ efforts, with no fewer than seven players scoring three goals or more. A very strong team effort that dominated the second half and inflicted a harsh (9-16) on Clément Alcacer’s players.
In the end, Metz won (23-32) and remained at the top of the championship, tied in points with the other unbeaten team, Brest. The women from Nice fell to sixth place but only two points from the podium. The Maralpines can now take a few days off before hosting the girls from Plan-de-Cuques on Wednesday, January 29th at 8:30 PM.
