The week of the Barça European Cups began with the handball section registering at the final four Cologne (June 18 and 19). A regular participant in the decisive fight for the title (in 10 of the last 13 editions it was in the fight), the Barça team confirmed the reservation of the ticket that they had already processed in the first leg, by winning 29-33 on German soil . At the Palau he won by three: 27-24.
Flensburg visited the Palau with a heavy heart, losing three out of three matches this season against the reigning European champions, who had also been champions nine times before. He was able to hope for a minor consolation victory, but never turned the tie around. acquired minimum one goal advantages and very brief, so ephemeral that they disappeared the next Barça attack. The last one was at the dawn of the second half, with which the feat was as far away as in the field of utopia.
For this, it was key to prevent, from the beginning, any pretense. Barça applied themselves with an excellent defense, leaving Flensburg with 10 goals in the first half, although the stuck attack concluded that first phase with the same 10 goals. Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas did not remember such a low score on the scoreboard. “It was a very complicated game,” he said at the end, consolidating the victory.
The pressure, the need, ran from the part of Flensburg that could never feed the illusion of manliness. Barça was protected by the public at the Palau, who flocked to see the team’s last European game. Carlos Ortega summoned the fans the day before demanding protection rather than push, as if he did not fully trust the comfortable income of the first leg.
tie at halftime
The Barça defense contained Flensburg in the same way as Benjamin Buric (48% saves in the first half) clogged the usually mighty Barça production. The first great advantage (5-2 and 6-3), which was not repeated until the end, was annulled with the first timeout requested by Maik Machulla and the tie at six was repeated in the intermission (10-10). The Dika Mem hammer prevented Flensburg from going to rest with an advantage, and Aitor Arinoin a counterattack, returned Barça’s advantage on the scoreboard (12-11).
The duel then turned into a blow to blow. The change in strategy benefited Barça, with more and better players. Ben Ali shone again as a pivot, injured Luis Frade and Ludovic Fàbregas, and Mem corresponded to the renewal of his contract until 2027, reaffirming his status as a franchise player of a section that flies to its annual appointment.
Data sheet
Barcelona: Perez de Vargas; Aleix (2), Dika Mem (6), Cindric (4), Ben Ali (5), N’Guessan, Fernández (1), starting seven. Petrus (1), Makuc (1), Janc (3), Richardson, Langaro (2), Ariño (2).
Flensburg: Burick; Wanne (6), Golla (4), Johannessen (3), Gottfridsson (2), Einarsson (3), Svan (4), starting seven. Mensah (2), Hald Jensen, Hasenkamp, Steinhauser, Lindskog, Moller (p).
Referees: Jurinovic, Mrvica (Croats).
Exclusions: Gottfridsson (2), Aleix, Hald Jensen (2).
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Pavilion: Palau Blaugrana.
Spectators: 4,184.