The Barça handball team are through to the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 after a 31-21 victory over French side Nantes. Aleix Gómez and Nielsen were in fine form for Carlos Ortega's team who now take their place in the semi-finals in Cologne, Germany after a 63-51 aggregate win over the two legs of the quarter-final. 

French team competitive

Nantes were quick out of the box as they attempted to try and turn around the 32-30 deficit from the first leg in France. The visitors in the Palau raced into a 2-0 lead and were then 8-6 head but Barça mounted a comeback. 

Nielsen's saves in goal and Dika Mem's goals brought Barça level at 10-10 and a goal from Aleix Gómez put them ahead at 11-10 for the first time in the game. At half time the blaugranes had stretched their advantage to 15-12, finally wearing down the visitors. 

At the start of the second half Carlos Ortega's team opened up a five goal lead at 18-13 which quickly became a nine goal lead with Barrufet's strike at 25-16. With one foot in the Final Four, Barça were able to close out the game and book their place in the Cologne with a 31-21 win. 

14 out of 17 

The Final Four in Germany will take place on 13-14 June and ticket details for blaugrana fans wanting to support the team in the Final Four will be released in the coming days. Barça will be making their eight consecutive appearance in the Final Four, their 14th in the last 17 seasons, and the fifth in five seasons under coach Carlos Ortega. FC Barcelona, 12 time winners of the competition, will be joined by Danish side Aalborg, Füchse Berlin from Germany and the winners of the tie between another German side Magdeburg and Hungarians Pick Szeged. 

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    MATCH STATS 

    Barça, 31
    Nantes, 21

    Barça: Nielsen (-), Aleix (10), Janc (1), Makuc (-), N'Guessan (3), Frade (2) y Fernández (1) -starting seven- Hallgrímsson (-), L. Fàbregas (2), Carlsbogard (-), D. Mem (4), Elderaa (1), Barrufet (3), D. Cikusa (2), Bazán (1) and Sola (1)
    Nantes: Biosca (-), Abdi (1), Valero Rivera (4), Minne (2), Briet (5), Yoshida (-) y Odriozola (2) -starting seven- Pesic (-), Tournat (3), Ovnicek (-), Bos (1), Lagarde (-), Avelange (-), Leopold (2), Nyateu (-) and Tarrafeta (1)

    Força Barça