Barça 38-30 HC PPD Zagreb: European year ends with a smile

After a setback in Magdeburg, Barça returned to the Palau Blaugrana to cap a wonderful evening preceded by the 125th anniversary celebrations with a top-notch win over their Croatian visitors. Following plenty of confetti and the debut of the CAT mascot at a handball match, Richardson led the scoring in the eighth game of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League group stage.

From an early 7-2 lead, the Catalans never really had to look back. Richardson and Nielsen were both making huge contributions to the evening's events, and even when the Croats got back to within four, N'Guessan ledd the charge in the other direction as Barça mounted a 23-16 lead at the break.

There was never anything to worry about in the second half. Barça had built up too wide a margin for this game to end in anything but a home win. Barça will be spending Christmas as the top of Group B. 

MATCH STATS

Barça, 38
HC PPD Zagreb, 30

Barça: Nielsen (1), Janc (2), Richardson (11), Makuc (), Frade (2), N'Guessan (5), Wanne (3), Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas (-), Petrus (-), Carlsbogard (2), Makuc (4), Bazán (-), Cikusa (1), Javi Rodríguez (1), Ariño (5), Martín () & Jan Blas (1)
HC PPD Zagreb: Grbavac (-), Klarica (3), Gojun (-), Glavaš (6), Dibirov (8), Walczak (1), Bialiauski (2), Matoševic (-), Kavcic (1), Gavric (3), Trivkovic (4), Hadžic (1), Vidovic (1)

Periods: 5-2; 8-4; 11-6; 16-10; 19-13; 23-16 // 26-19; 30-22; 32-24; 34-25; 37-28; 38-30

Referees: Marko Sekulic & Vladimir Jovandic