15.10.2007, 12:45
Perfect weekend for the Spanish

Ciudad and Barcelona have both won to secure their leading positions in their respective groups.

Perfect weekend for the Spanish

There was no place for mistakes for the Spanish teams this weekend. Barcelona and Ciudad Real won their matches just as Portland and Ademar. All of them are leading their groups and they are just one step from qualifying for the next round. In addition, Portland’s Carlos Ruesga is among the CL top scorers with 25 goals in three games. Ivry and Drammen were the victims of Barcelona and Ciudad Real.

Ciudad Real had to work hard until the second half to clinch the victory in Drammen (23-29 at the end). Dujshebaev could not count on Urios and Dinart, so the victory was not taken for granted before the match. The Norwegian 6-0 defence was a real problem for the Spanish who were not able to score easy goals. Only Árpád Sterbik was playing on a good level in the initial phase of the game. The Spanish side changed their style after the break.

Dujshebaev gave a rest for some players and the Swedish Jonas Kallman was the “boss” in the Ciudad Real defence. The Spanish began to play well and they made a 2-7 run and decided the game. They took control of the game and Drammen were not able to surprise them. Torsten Laen was the player for Ciudad Real scoring seven goals.

Barcelona stay on top

Barcelona was quicker with the decision: they won the game already in the first half. The match ended with a comfortable 34-26 victory for the Catalonians.

Kasper Hvidt and a 6-0 defence helped Barcelona to take control of the game from the beginning. Ivry were watching the Catalonians but could not react with anything. Luc Abalo was the only player who caused problems for the Spanish. The French player scored 8 goals and proved his abilities in the Palau Blau Grana.

Losert in the second half was just as impressive in the goal as Kasper in the first one. Ivry tried to catch up with the hosts after halftime, but it was impossible. Iker Romero and Demetrio Lozano scored important goals to guarantee an easy ending for the game. The Catalonians close the first three matches of the group phase without mistake and lead the table.

TEXT: Fernando Urra Goñi