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Barça 40-37 Granollers: Title clinching victory!

11-goal hero Richardson leads a derby win that mathematically decides the league championship for the 31st time

Barça have beaten Granollers in a vibrant derby that even more importantly finally secures the league title for the 31st time in club history and for a spectacular 14th season in a row. Melvyn Richardson led the way with 11 goals in one of the tightest battle that Barça have faced in the competition, with nothing decided for certain until the final minutes.

The other two outstanding players were the goalkeepers. Pérez de Vargas has the best save percentage in the league, while Granollers' Roberto Martínez has the highest number of saves outright.

Many Barça games have been as good as over by the break, but not this one. They never led by more than two goals, with the score at 21-19 when the interval arrived, and there were moments in the second half when they managed to level the scores, with 8-goal Yusuf especially notable.

Some top leadership from Dika Mem ensured that the home side held on for the last few minutes and eventually scraped it by three points. Indeed, a close contest but the result was the right one and the Palau could erupt into the celebrations of yet another league title for the huge collection.

MATCH STATS

Barça, 40.
Fraikin BM Granollers, 37.

Barça: Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas (11), Aleix Gómez (4), Dika Mem (8), Luis Frade (3), Jonathan Carlsbogard (3), Melvyn Richardson (11), Aitor Ariño (3), Emil Nielsen (0), Pol Valera (1), Blaz Janc (3), Timothey N'Guessan (0), Thiagus Petrus (0), Haniel Langaro, Ian Barrufet (0), Petar Cikusa (3), Javier Rodríguez (1).

Granollers: Roberto Rodríguez (11), Faruk Yusuf (8), Victor Romero (6), Bruno Reguart (4), Adrià Martínez (2), Iván Montoya (5), Andrei Buzle (2), Pau Panitti (0), Biel Valera (0), Gerard Domingo (1), Pablo Guijarro (0), Ferran Castillo (4), Sergi Franco (4), Pablo Urdangarín (1).

Periods: 5-3 / 8-6 / 12-9 / 15-12 / 18-16 / 21-19 / HT / 23-21 / 28-27 / 31-29 / 34-32 / 35-33 / 40-37.

Referees: Jordi Ausàs & Miquel Florenza.

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