HBC Nantes 25-32 Barça Lassa: One foot in Cologne

The Barça Lassa handball team was in devastating form as they crushed HBC Nantes 25-32 in their EHF Champions League quarter final first leg to move within touching distance of a place in the Final Four in Cologne.

They still have the second leg on Saturday 4 May at the Palau Blaugrana (7.30pm CET), but with a seven point head start, they have everything in their favour.

The first quarter of an hour was a tight battle, but it was then that the Catalans started to mount a lead, with Fabregas on fine form with four first half goals, and former Barça man Valero Rivera causing the biggest headaches for a spectacular Gonzalo in the visiting goal.

With a four-goal lead at the break, Barça were well in command and didn’t slip after the restart, soon going to +7 and at one point going +10 following quick goals from Dolenec and Andersson.

The French side cut down the difference in the final minutes, but are still left with a mountain to climb if they are going stop Barça from marching into another Final Four.

MATCH STATS

HBC Nantes: Bonnefoi (-), Balaguer (1), Lazarov (2), Tournat (3), Gurbindo (1), Lagarde (4), Valero Rivera (8). Siffert (-), Delecroix (1), Guillo (-), Nyokas (3), Auffret (-), Pechmalbec (1), Feliho (-), Emonet (1), Imare (-). 
Barça Lassa: Pérez de Vargas (1), Ariño (1), Aleix Gómez (3), Thiagus Petrus (-), Dika Mem (2), Pálmarsson (3), Fabregas (9). Víctor Tomás (3), Entrerríos (1), Sorhaindo (1), Andersson (2), Dolenec (1), Gilberto Duarte (3), Ilic (2).

Periods: 2-2 / 3-5 / 6-7 / 7-11 / 10-13 / 12-16 (HT) 14-20 / 15-23 / 16-26 / 20-27 / 21-29 / 25-32 (FT)
Referees: Matija Gubica & Boris Milosevic