Nîmes and Caen win away matches

On the eighth day of the competition, Nîmes and Caen both secured away victories. Nîmes defeated Chartres 32-33, while Caen overcame Sélestat 24-26 in a closely contested match.

Nîmes leads early but faces challenges

The match between Nîmes and Chartres started intensely, with 11 goals scored in less than five minutes. Nîmes took an early lead, with Thierry Anti scoring to put them up by three goals (10-13, 16'). However, Yvan Vérin was substituted due to an injury, apparently on his left leg.

Young goalkeeper helps Nîmes maintain lead

Young goalkeeper Soren Billy-Legrand entered the game and performed well, helping Nîmes not to score but also not to concede any goals. This led to a halftime score of 15-17 in favor of Nîmes.

Chartres fights back in the second half

After halftime, Nîmes continued to build their lead, reaching a four-goal advantage. However, Chartres, led by Mehdi Harbaoui, fought back and took the lead on an interception by Paul Gourdel (27-26, 46').

Nîmes secures narrow victory

In the final minutes, both teams put in significant effort, with Chartres wasting two attacking opportunities. A timeout by Thierry Anti with five minutes remaining saw Nîmes take a two-goal lead, but Yohan Gibelin's out-of-bounds pass allowed Chartres to equalize. Gibelin later made amends with a powerful shot from nine meters, securing Nîmes' victory with a final score of 32-33.

Caen overcomes deficit in final moments

In the match against Sélestat, Caen faced a challenging situation, trailing by three goals with 15 minutes remaining (18-15, 45'). However, Milos Mocevic played a crucial role in the final moments, making 17 stops and converting 41% of his shots.

Team effort seals Caen's win

His performance inspired his teammates, with Cornette, Tournellec, and Kawada also contributing. Sélestat nearly equalized, but Pedro Portela missed a seven-meter shot ten seconds before the end, securing Caen's victory with a final score of 24-26.