Zagreb 29-31 Barça: Winning run in Europe continues

No let up from the leader. A fifth win in five European games, as FC Barcelona won 29-31 away to Zagreb (29-31). What looked like a comfortable outing in the first half became more fraught in the second, but the blaugranes ultimately came away with the win.

Good start by Barça

Barça grew into this Machineseeker EHF Champions League gameweek five fixture and gradually exerted their influence on the game in Zagreb. The defence was performing excellently and goals by Dika Mem and Wanne helped extend the blaugranes' lead.

The visiting side went +7 to 7-14 by minute 17 and the home side could do little about it up to then. However, they did manage to stop the flow and despite Nielsen making save after save, Zagreb managed to bring it back to +5 near the end of the first half. 14-19 at the break.

Croatian comeback falls short

Nielsen is always there when most needed and he stopped Zagreb from coming within two goals four minutes into the second half. Barça were no longer at their fluid best and the game became a more even affair, albeit somewhat uncontrolled.

The blaugranes had managed to earn some breathing space halfway through the half at 23-28, which seemed enough to ensure a fifth win in five this season, even more so when an inspired Cikusa made it +6 and Nielsen made two great saves in a row.

However, the final stages of the game were anything but relaxed, as Zagreb made it 29-30 with 30 seconds to go. All the same, Aleix Gómez scored the final goal to seal the win and his side maintain their unbeaten winning record in this season's Machineseeker EHF Champions League.

MATCH STATS

Zagreb 29
Barça 31

Zagreb: Mandic (-), Klarica (2), Dibirov (2), Srna (3), Bialiauski (5), Trivkovic (1) and Glavaš (9) - starting seven - Grbavac (-), Gojun (1), Kavcic (1), Kos (5), Walczak (-) and Pavlovic (-)
Barça: Nielsen (-), Janc (1), Dika Mem (6), Petrus (-), Frade (3), Carlsbogard (-) and Wanne (4) - starting seven - Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas (-), Cikusa (5), Richardson (4), N'Guessan (1), Makuc (4), Aleix (3), Javi Rodríguez (-) and Ariño (-)

Partial scores: 2-3; 6-10; 7-12; 9-16; 12-18; 14-19 // 17-21; 20-23; 22-26; 23-28; 26-30; 29-31

Referees: Kursad Erdogan and Ibrahim Özdeniz