Wisla Plock 25-28 Barça: Leaders with half the season gone
Back to the Champions League for the FC Barcelona handball team and an important 25-28 win away at a tough place to go in Orlen Wisla Plock, concluding the first half of the season in first place in group B with 12 points. Dika Mem top scored for the blaugranas with 7 goals against a dogged home side.
Ahead from the off
Aleix Gómez and a good blaugrana defence set the tone for the half from the off. Despite a difficult spell mid-half, there was still a 4-6 lead over Plock after 15 minutes and Nielsen's eight saves in the half helped Carlos Ortega's side go in 11-15 at the break, with the goals spread around the team.
Victory closed out
Despite a suspension, captain Dika Mem showed up in an attack to take the score to 15-21 after 40 minutes. Plock scored three without reply to close the gap to 18-21 five minutes later, but Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas scored a goal (20-24, min 50) and made two saves (22-26, min 57) to virtually ensure the win. Wisla Plock rallied to come within two, but a final goal by Aleix Gómez closed out a 25-28 victory.
Next up in Europe none other than today's opponents Wisla Plock, this time at the Palau Blaugrana on 23 November (20.45 horas).
MATCH STATS
ORLEN WISLA PLOCK, 25
BARÇA, 28
Wisla Plock: Mirko Alilovic, Tin Lucin (8), Dawid Dawydzik (5), Mirsad Terzic, Gergö Fazekas (1), Gonzalo Pérez Arce, Lovro Mihic (3) - starting seven -, Niko Mindegia (1), Kiryl Samoila (1), Dmitry Zhitnikov, Michal Daszek (5), Tomas Piroch, Przemyslaw Krajewski (1).
Barça: Nielsen, Aleix (3), D. Mem (7), Frade (3), Pol Valera (3), N'Guessan (3), Wanne (3) - starting seven - Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas (sg, 1), Petar Cikusa (2), Carlsbogard (2), Richardson (1), Javi Rodríguez (1), Jaime Gallego, Aitor Ariño, Thiagus Petrus, Blaz Janc.
Partial scores: 0-2, 3-6, 4-6, 7-11, 9-13, 11-15 -halftime- 12-16, 15-20, 18-21, 20-24, 22-26, 25-28 (fulltime).
Referees: Maike Merz, Tanja Kuttler.