Barça 52-27 Granollers: Super champions!

FC Barcelona have their first handball silverware of the season and it's still only August! They had little trouble seeing off Fraikin Granollers in the Catalan Super Cup final to clinch the trophy for the 11th year in a row.

The home of CEM Les Moreres in Esplugues de Llobregat was the venue for a somewhat one-sided affair in which there was only ever going to be one winner. Spearheaded by an outstanding Luis Frade, Barça were +9 in the flick of an eyelid and there was never much question where this game was headed The points kept coming from all angles, and by the break the +17 lead meant the second half was merely going to be academic.

There was something of a reaction from Granollers after the restart, but it was strings and arrows against the lightning.The margin just got wider and wider, and in the end Barça took it by a monstrous 52-27.

That's the 24th time Barça have won the Catalan Super Cup, and the eleventh in succession. Now to see if they can add another Super Cup, the Ibérica, in which they face Porto in Saturday's semi-final.

MATCH STATS

Barça, 52
Granollers, 27

Barça: Nielsen (-), Aleix Gómez (7), Dika Mem (-), Frade (4), Makuc (1), N'Guessan (2), Ariño (6), Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas (-), Petrus (-), Carlsbogard (1), Richardson (7), Janc (4), Petar Cikusa (2), Javi Rodriguez (4), Manuel Ortega (5), Antonio Bazán (4) & Palomino (3)
Granollers: Lluc Borrell (-), Jan Duran (1), David Carreño (2), Gerard Domingo (4), Bernat Povill (2), Roger Ferrer (4), Oriol Vilarrubla (1), Sergio Espinosa (-), Biel Valera (3), Ferran Prieto (5), Ferran López (1), Mario Bartrolí (-), Bertran Otal (-), Jaume Espigule (1) & Xavier Montaner (2)

Periods: 3-1; 7-1; 13-4; 17-7; 22-8; 27-10 // 33-14; 37-18; 41-19; 44-22; 47-24; 52-27

Referees: Miquel Florenza & Jordi Ausás