Barça 36-31 GOG: Into the EHF Final 4!

Cologne here we come! Barça are through to the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2023 with this 36-31 win over GOG.

Complete team performance

A superb defence formed the basis for this European return leg quarterfinal. Spurred on by a committed Palau Blaugrana crowd and a top quality performance by Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas, Barça kept the Danes at bay time and again.

The Catalans controlled the scoreboard through goals by Dika Mem, Ludovic Fabregas and N'Guessan in the early stages. Makuc and Frade then joined in the scoring with different plays coming to the fore, even going up +8 at one point.  Score at the end of the first half: 20-13.

Control to the end

Same again after the restart, the Danes attacking with seven, but the outcome was no different to the first half. The home fans, including Mapi León, Engen and Rolfö from FC Barcelona Women, Helder Nunes from the roller hockey team, and Coelho from the futsal team, continued to delight in their side's performance right up to the final whistle and beyond.

So, Carlos Ortega's side are through to the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2023 after a dominant showing against GOG. Final score 36-31. Now time to heed a banner held up by the fans at the end of the game, "Time to make history in Cologne". 

GAME STATS

Barça, 36
GOG, 31

Barça: Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas (1), Aleix Gomez (1), Dika Mem (5), Thiagus Petrus (-), Ludovic Fabregas (3), N'Guessan (2) y Wanne (2) - starting seven - Nielsen (-), Makuc (2), Frade (7), Richardson (4), Carlsbogard (4), Cindric (1), Martí Soler (1), Janc (2) and Pol Valera (1)
GOG: Thulin (-), Jakobsen (3), Tollbring (-), Olsen (4), Jorgensen (3), Madsen (5) and Rasmussen (1) - starting seven - Dorgelo (-), Pedersen (2), Kildelund (2), Clausen (-), Leger (2), Cehte (-), Dreyer (-), Als (3) and Lykke (3)

Partial scores: 3-2; 7-4; 9-6; 14-10; 18-12; 20-13 // 24-17; 27-21; 29-23; 31-26; 33-28; 36-31

Referees: Robert Schulze and Tobias Tönnies

Attendance: 3,698