RK Celje 25-37 Barça: Direct to the quarters

FC Barcelona are going straight into the quarter finals of the VELUX EHF Champions League thanks to today’s 25-37 win at RK Celje (25-37). That means they will finish top of Group A and will get a bye through the next round.

Today was a festival of attacking handball, with all the out-court players scoring, and Dolenec doing so most with seven.

It happened after a tight start, and Barça didn’t break away until three straight goals from Frenchman Dika Mem built a cushion of four, and it was full steam ahead from that moment onwards.

A 2-8 streak in the second half scuppered any chance of a Slovenian comeback in a game that also saw Croatian Luka Cindric play his first game of 2020 after returning from injury.

Barça still have a game against second placed MOL Pick Szeged to come, but that game will do nothing to change the standings now, while next it’s the Asobal league and Recoletas Atl. Valladolid on Tuesday at 7.00pm CET.

MATCH STATS

RK Celje: Vujovic (-), Razgor (9), Poteko (2), Novak (2), Silva da Borges (4), Sarac (2), Makuc (-), starting five, Cvetko (-), Cokan (-), Groselj (-), Zabic (1), Ferlin (-), Kodrin (1), Horzen (3), Grebenec (-), Leban (1).
Barça: Pérez de Vargas (-), Víctor Tomàs (2), Andersson (1), Ariño (1), Dolenec (7), Palmarsson (5) i Fabregas (5), starting five. Mortensen (2), Entrerríos (1), Sorhaindo (1), N'Guessan (4), Aleix Gómez (2), Thiagus Petrus (1), Dika Mem (4), Cindric (1), Møller (-).
Periods: 3-3 / 7-7 / 10-10 / 11-13 / 13-16 / 14-19 (HT) 17-22 / 19-25 / 22-29 / 23-31 / 25-34 / 25-37 (FT).