Nantes 30-32 Barça: First leg victory
Barça have taken an important step towards the Final Four with a hard-fought victory at HBC Nantes in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. They showed they could compete in a demanding environment, but the tie will be decided at the Palau Blaugrana, where the team must finish the job in front of their fans to secure a place in Cologne.
Solid start
The game was tough, with a heated atmosphere and a determined Nantes side striking first. But Barça quickly settled into the game. Makuc opened the scoring for the visitors and, from there, they side began to find their rhythm. With strong defence-to-attack transitions and fluid ball movement, they soon turned the score around, with Aleix Gómez in fine form from the wing.
Barça gradually imposed their game plan of solid defence, constant support and key saves from Nielsen, which allowed them to open up a 3-point lead for much of the first half.
Even so, Nantes did not give up. The French side chipped away at the deficit until they were just one goal behind. From then on, the match became more physical, with a constant exchange of blows, going into half-time at 18–19.
Cold blood
After the break, Nantes came out at a higher intensity and quickly levelled the game at 20–20, and then took the lead for the first time since the opening minutes.
Barça’s response was immediate. With Dika Mem taking responsibility and Frade strong on the pivot, the visitors regained control. Aleix Gómez, reliable as ever from the seven-metre line, continued to add to his tally and made it +4 on 44 minutes, Barça’s best moment of the match.
Nantes responded quickly again, reducing the gap and keeping the pressure on until the final minutes. Even so, Barça managed the key moments well, and Nielsen saved a late penalty that proved crucial.
With composure and accuracy in the decisive possessions, Carlos Ortega’s side held on to their lead until the end. A final goal from the hosts set the score at 30–32, giving Barça a highly valuable win and a clear advantage ahead of the second leg at the Palau next Wednesday at 8.45pm CET.
MATCH STATS
NANTES, 30
BARÇA, 32
Nantes: Biosca, Abdi, Rivera, Minne, Tournat, Odriozala, Briet, Pesic, Lagarde, Yoshida, Tafarreta, Nyateu, Ovnicek, Bos, Lopold.
Barça: Nielsen, Fàbregas, N'Guessan, Frade, Janc, Fernández, Aleix, Hallgrímsson, Dani Fernández, Dika Mem, Makuc, Ian Barrufet, Petar Cikusa.
Periods: 2-3, 6-7, 8-10, 11-14, 14-15, 18-19 // 20-20, 22-23, 24-26, 25-29, 28-31, 30-32
Referees: Lars Jorum - Havard Kleven