Algeciras and Sevilla make it a Spanish double in Baia Mare

A pair of Spanish teams took home the men’s and women’s titles as four days of ebt Finals 2019 action came to a thrilling end at Baia Mare on Sunday.

Pinturas Andalucía BM Playa Sevilla won the men’s competition and Club Balonmano Playa Algeciras took the women’s title, both after winning the shootouts.

Men’s competition

Sevilla made it back-to-back ebt Finals titles after winning a superb shootout against compatriots Palletways Verallia Azuqueca 16:14 at Baia Mare.

After nine shots each the score was 14:14, and Sevilla first put themselves ahead by netting the tenth, and then took the win when Alvaro Espino saved Jaime Fernandez’s effort.

The finalists earned their chance to fight for the title after two close semi-finals. Sevilla lost the first set before regrouping to take the second, while Azuqueca won the first but saw V. Gaw fight back for the second.

Os Tigres took the first set against Sevilla with the Spaniards winning the second. The shootout went down to the wire, with Sevilla eventually winning 10:8.

The match for third was an all-Portuguese affair which V. Gaw won by the narrowest of margins, taking both sets by a single point.

Women’s competition

Multichem-Szentendrai NKE seemed on course to match Sevilla and win a second successive title, but Algeciras had other ideas. The Spanish club took control in the first set, before Szentendrai came back to take the second 23:20. However two good saves spoiled the Hungarian party and Algeciras won the shootout 8:4.

Algeciras had a more straightforward route to the final, beating Westsite Amsterdam in straight sets. Szentendrai looked comfortable in the first set against SPORT CLUB Senec-Cannabis Energy Drink, but the Slovakian club took the second set by a single point to force a shootout.

After Senec missed their first shot in the shootout the place in the final was Szentendrai’s to lose, and they duly held on for a 9:8 win.

The semi-final was also notable for being the first match to use instant replay technology, introduced to the ebt Finals this year. The technology allows referees to check footage to see if a player should be suspended or given a red card.

After reviewing a play during the Szentendrai vs Senec game, Multichem player number 14, Bozsana Fekete, was suspended.              

In the third-place match Westsite won both sets in straightforward fashion.