Barça 1-5 Palma Futsal: The fifth will have to wait

A fifth Futsal Champions League was up for grabs in Yerevan this Sunday, but it wasn't to be. The result was up in the air right until the final minutes, but chasing an equaliser, Barça were forced to take risks. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. This time, sadly, it didn't, and the coveted trophy is headed for the Balearic Islands.

So although the score looked very one-sided at the end of it, the result doesn't tell the whole story. Barça had scored first and although Palma bit back, there were chances aplenty to get this game back on right course. But the goals refused to come, and Palma took their own chances when they came their way, especially in the closing minutes when all hope for Barça dissipated into nothing.

Palma turnaround

Barça were the slower of the two sides to get into their stride, but when they finally got going, they also got the first goal. After a series of great chances they finally got the goal that had started to loo like coming, Catela feeding Adolfo for a deftly converted angled shot on the quarter hour.

But Palma were quick to respond. VAR needed a good look, but Rómulo's equaliser was given as good, and seconds before the interval, Vilian Lourenço gave his team a half-time lead.

Frustration

Barça pushed and pushed to get one back, and a flood of chances went begging. Both Lozano and Touré hit the post and Catela could also have scored had Luan Muller not produced the save of the match.

With so many chances, it's astounding that the Catalans didn't turn a single one into a goal, and they would ultimately pay the price. A lightning move from nowhere saw Palma go even further ahead through Neguinho with six minutes to go.

Barça had no choice but to go for the rush goalie option. However, the risk didn't pay off. Palma defended well and snatched a couple more goals from the feet of Chaguinha and Neguinho. And that was the end of that.

A hugely frustrating way for the Champions League to come to an end for Barça, who know that this was a game that they didn't have to lose, and certainly not by so many goals. But that's futsal and all that can be done is to congratulate Palma and turn the page.

MATCH STATS

BARÇA, 1

PALMA FUTSAL, 5

Barça: Dídac, Antonio, Ferrao, Catela, Erick, Matheus, André Coelho, Adolfo, Lozano, Pito, Touré, Kokoro, Miquel Feixas (GK), Pau López (GK). 

Palma Futsal: Carlos Barrón, Chaguinha, Neguinho, Rómulo, Gordillo, Vilian Lourenço, Cleber, Moslem, Bruno Gomes, Rivillos, Marcelo, Luan Muller (GK). 

Goals: 1-0, Adolfo (min 15). 1-1, Rómulo (min 18). 1-2, Vilian Lourenço (min 20). 1-3, Neguinho (min 34). 1-4, Chaguinha (min 40). 1-5, Neguinho (min 40).