Tourcoing defeated Strasbourg in the big match of Matchday 11 of the French League.
After 32 minutes of the hard and balanced battle, the score was 11:11, so a penalty shootout decided the winner. Tourcoing made no mistake in a penalty thriller and recorded an 18:17 victory to win two points. Strasbourg took a consolation one point.
There was not much excitement in other matches. Marseille extended its winning streak with a 14:6 victory over Reims. Noisy-le-Sec beat Nice (10:6). Pays d’Aix defeated Montpellier more convincingly than expected (17:9).
2022/23 French League, Day 11
Strasbourg – Tourcoing 17:18 (3:2, 3:3, 2:2, 3:4, PSO 6:7)
Strasbourg: Bachelier 4, Canovas 3, Vitrant 3, Buha 2, I.Zivkovic 2, Petkovic 1.
Tourcoing: Draskovic 4, Marzouki 4, Dasic 3, Durik 3, Popadic 2, Kujacic 2, Canonne 1, Lepoint 1.
Marseille – Reims 14:6 (4:2, 3:0, 3:2, 4:2)
Marseille: Daube 3, Vukicevic 3, Bouet 3, Prlainovic 1, Vernoux 1, Olivon 1, Izdinsky 1, Bodegas 1.
Reims: Babic 5, Bulat 1.
Nice – Noisy-le-Sec 6:10 (0:4, 3:1, 2:2, 3:1)
Olympic Nice: Irmes 3, L. Murisic 2, Bouhaddi 1.
Noisy-le-Sec (Cercle 93):Bjorch 2, Bowen 2, Krapic 2, Saudadier 1, Dino 1, Gogov 1, Petkovic 1.
Montpelleier – Pays d’Aix 9:17 (2:5, 2:5, 3:4, 2:3)
Montpellier: Dory 3, Kalinic 3, Lambert 1, Ivankovic 1, Degaille 1.
Pays d’Aix: Khasz 4, Rocchietta 4, Dunstan 3, Beteille 2, Strkalj 1, Bakircilar 1, Pirat 1, Vrdoljak 1.
Sete bye
The derby duel between Strasbourg and Tourcoing was an even contest from the first until the final whistle. The score was tied six times, but Tourcoing never led in the regular time. In the very last minute, Tourcoing secured a penalty shootout and emerged as the winner.
Strasbourg built a 2-goal lead five times (3:1, 4:2, 7:5, 8:6, 11:9). Still, Tourcoing successfully chased the rival and prolonged the match in a shootout. Before the final quarter, Strasbourg had an 8:7 lead. The visitors leveled at 8:8 and 9:9 during the fourth period. At the finish of the game, Strasbourg netted two back-to-back action goals (Canovas and Buha) and went to 11:9 with 02:07 minutes to go. The hosts were very close to a victory. However, the finish belonged to Tourcoing, which earned two penalty shots in the last 91 seconds. An experienced Mehdi Marzouki took responsibility both times and made no mistakes. He converted both penalty shots and leveled at 11:11 with 31 seconds left on the clock. Strasbourg didn’t score in its last possession, so the match entered a penalty shootout.
There were no misses in the first six rounds of shots. In the seventh round, Strasbourg’s Loris Canovas didn’t score. At the other end of the pool, Marin Dasic sent the ball into the net, and that was the end. Tourcoing won 18:17.
Marseille started slowly in the match with Reims. In the middle of the first period, the score was 2:2. After that, Marseille produced a 7:0 run in 16 minutes. Deep into the third period, Marseille jumped to a 9:2 lead. There was no way back for Reims.
Noisy-le-Sec had a different “recipe” for a win. The Parisians visited Nice. Unlike Marseille, Noisy opened the match excellently and built a 4:0 lead in the first eight minutes, which was crucial for the outcome. Nice didn’t give in and halved the deficit several times (3:5, 4:6, 5:7). Noisy-le-Sec retook control at the finish f the game. The visitors opened the fourth quarter with three straight goals to earn a safe 10:5 lead.
Pays d’Aix ended its losing streak. After four losses on the home field (three in the French Cup and one in the previous league round), Aix recorded its first win in 2023. It demolished Montpellier and climbed to 5th place. Pays d’Aix ruled the field. In the second quarter, the visitors earned a 7-goal lead (10:3). Deep into the third period, Aix stretched the margin to nine (14:5) and the contest was over.
1.Marseille 10 games – 30 points
2. Noisy-le-Sec 10 – 26
3. Strasbourg 10 – 18
4. Tourcoing 10 – 18
5. Pays d’Aix 10 – 13
6.Sete 9 – 11
7.Montpellier 9 – 9
8. Reims 10 – 7
10. Nice 10 – 0
