Provence Aix — Caen Handball: 32:25, Starligue

Provence Aix beat Caen 32:25 on Friday evening in the Starligue. The hosts stayed level on points with their visitors after three rounds of fixtures. It was a narrow margin of victory, but one that kept the table balanced at this early stage.

The result leaves Provence Aix in twelfth place with two points, while Caen remain in eighth with four. Both sides have yet to taste defeat this season, which speaks to how evenly matched these teams are at the start of the campaign. The hosts will take some satisfaction from holding onto their point tally.

We had called for a home win with 80 per cent confidence before kick-off, and the outcome confirmed that assessment. Provence Aix showed enough composure to see out the game against a Caen side that had been competitive in recent outings. Things came to a head in the closing stages, where experience told.

Recent form suggests this was no fluke result. The hosts had lost their last two matches before this one, while Caen had won two of their last three. The shift in momentum was visible for anyone watching from the stands. What mattered most was how both teams responded to pressure.