Nothing is going well for Nantes, beaten Thursday evening for the third time in a row, at home against Celje (32-21). The “H”, which could validate its ticket for the 8th finals if successful, gave in at the very last second of the match against the Slovenians.
Despite a very good start, Nantes is still not certain of finishing in third place in its group (B), synonymous with sesame for the knockout stages of the Champions League. The “H” has indeed burned a new joker on Thursday evening and is joined in the standings by the 4th Kiel, winner at the same time of the Poles of Kielce and its French colony abandoned a few hours ago by Nedim Remili, who left for Veszprem . At home, the Nantes suffered a third defeat in a row (32-31) on the European scene, against a poorly ranked Celje. A new setback all the more incomprehensible for the third of Liqui Moly Starligue that in the first leg, he had made short work (victory by eleven goals) of the Slovenians on their floor. For the reunion between the two teams, Thursday evening at the H Arena in front of nearly 6,000 spectators on behalf of the 11th day, it therefore seemed difficult to imagine that Nantes, without thinking of a new correction inflicted on Celje, does not beat the penultimate of the group and does not stop his series of defeats in the Champions League at the same time.
🫤 Frustration and disappointment necessarily at the end of this unfavorable money-time.#HBCNCELJE pic.twitter.com/xYFpspdDVI
— HBCNantes (@HBCNantes) February 9, 2023
Vlah air-conditions the H Arena
🔚 𝐂’𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈! 😕
At the end of a very tight encounter and an electric end to the match, it is unfortunately the Slovenians who win this evening at the H Arena.#HBCNCELJE pic.twitter.com/ThBQw3q4Kf
— HBCNantes (@HBCNantes) February 9, 2023
However, this is precisely what happened in the capital of Loire-Atlantique, where the opponents of the “H” took advantage all evening of the lack of efficiency of the Nantes in front of the opposing cage to hover the first to the last second the specter of a third row defeat. It came at the very last second when Nantes had practically only chased after the score when Celje had passed for the first time in the match, just before the break (17-15). This did not prevent Aymeric Minne (8 goals) and his team from equalizing five times as the end of the game approached. Until 31-31 and this shot from Vlah, came to offer the victory to the Slovenians on the wire. And perhaps seriously complicate the rest of the competition for Nantes, who will go to Elverum on Wednesday.
