Granollers take major step towards the finals

The Spanish could have won bigger, though, being eight goals up with one minute left.

Fraikin BM. Granollers (ESP) vs Bjerringbro-Silkeborg (DEN) 30:24 (12:11)

The six-goal win in the Palau d´Esports de Granollers Sunday evening give Granollers a good chance ahead of the return match in Denmark next Saturday.

However, two goals in the last minutes, which reduced the distance from eight to six goals still give the Danish side a certain hope.

After the first quarter of an hour was equal, Granollers made use of a nine minutes goal drought to take a 9:6 lead.

Still, Silkeborg were able to get back at 11:11 shortly before the break.

The last 30 minutes were almost completely dominated by Granollers.

Silkeborg, who depended a lot on their Slovenian playmaker Sebastian Skube, had plenty of trouble with Granollers´ Brazilian goalkeeper Oliveira de Almeida, and at the other end of the court, the home team’s playmaker Marc Canellas virtually lived up to his famous older brother, Spanish international Joan Canellas from THW Kiel.

With six goals and a many great assists, Canellas played a crucial part, as Granollers went eight goals ahead in the second half.

Left back Arnau Garcia benefited particularly from Canellas’s assists to become top scorer of the match with seven goals.

Still, the visitors managed to improve their chances ahead of the second leg with two goals in the last minute, first by line player Michael Knudsen and then by left wing Stefan Hundstrup, who beat the buzzer to limit the distance to six goals before the return match in Denmark.

Sebastian Skube scored six goals for Silkeborg, while left back Nikolaj Markussen scored five.