The encounter between reigning champion Strasbourg and 2019 LEN Euro Cup winner Marseille was a highlight of the 11th round of the French League. Marseille, the visiting team, defeated Strasbourg 14:11.
French League 2019/20, Day 11
Strasbourg – Marseille 11:14 (3:4, 4:4, 2:4, 2:2)
Team Strasbourg: Bratic 3, Babic 2, Letica 2, Culina 2, Buden 1, Cesca 1.
CN Marseille : Crousillat 3, Izdinsky 2, Vernoux 2, Djurdjic 1, Vanpeperstraete 1, Marion-Vernoux 1, Kovacevic 1, Vukicevic 1, Camarasa 1, Olivon 1.
Sete – Pays d’Aix Natation 7:16 (1:3, 2:4, 1:4, 3:5)
Sete Natation : Budurin 2, Alfonso Pozo 2, Rustamov 1, Furman 1, Chandieu 1
Pays d’Aix Natation: Espanol 4, Khasz 3, Gagulic 3, Monneret 3, Gluhaic 2, Saux 1.
Reims – Montpellier 7:11 (2:4, 1:1, 3:4, 1:2)
Reims Natation : Caraj 3, De Bie 1, Andelic 1, Bielik 1, Balaz 1
Montpellier WP : Kalinic 4, Ivankovic 3, Zivkovic D. 1, Zivkovic I. 1, Spilliaert 1, Mustur 1.
Douai – Noisy-le-Sec 11:13 (2:4, 3:1, 3:3, 3:5)
FNC Douai : Canonne 3, Rocchietta 3,Bouet 2, Spooner 2, Lepoint 1.
Noisy-le-Sec : Marzouki 6. Bjorch 4, Pliskevich 2, Blary 1.
Tourcoing – Nice 16:7 (3:2, 3:1, 4:2, 6:2)
EN Tourcoing : Kujacic 4, Nispeling 4, Grgurevic 2, Randic 2, Koopman 2, Zaoui 1, Vincourt 1.
Olympic Nice : Butic 2, Caumette 2, Bachelier 1, Abela 1,Ladouce 1.
Strasbourg, which still plays without injured Pavo Markovic, took a good start in the derby against Marseille and earned an early two-goal lead (2:0 and 3:1). Marseille replied with four consecutive goals and turned around a 2-goal deficit to a 5:3 advantage. Quickly after that, the hosts leveled the score – 5:5. At halftime, the visitors had an 8:7 lead. In the middle of the third period, Marseille, led by Ugo Croisullat, built a 3-goal advantage 11:8 and kept the distance until the end.
Pays d’Aix did a clean job in Sete. Aix celebrated a 16:7 win and kept the top spot, with one point and also with one game more played than Marseille.
Tourcoing trashed Nice 16:7.
Douai upset Montpellier last week, but it wasn’t able for a new surprise. Douai hosted Noisy-le-Sec. The winner of the hard battle was decided in the last quarter, as the teams were tied -8:8 after the third period. Noisy opened the final period with two goals and went 10:8 up. The hosts cut the deficit twice (9:10 and 10:11). Mehdi Marzouki, the man of the match, netted two goals in a span of 47 seconds to gave Noisy a 13:11 advantage with 01:25 remaining on the clock and the Parisiens secured three points.
After a loss to Douai in the 10th round, Montpellier didn’t make a new mistake and beat Reims 11:7.
Postponed match (played on Wednesday): Pays d’Aix – Douai 16:8.
1 Pays d’Aix 11 – 28
2 Marseille 10 – 27
3 Tourcoing 10 – 21
4 Noisy-le-Sec 11 – 21
5 Team Strasbourg 11 – 18
6 Montpellier 8 – 13
7 Nice 10 – 10
8 Reims 11-9
9 Douai 11 – 6
10 Sete 11 – 1
