17.10.2018, 09:50
European trio eases into Super Globe Semi-final

QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: After each beating rivals from a different continent, Barça and Montpellier will clash for a place in the final while Füchse face the hosts in the other semi-final in Doha

European trio eases into Super Globe Semi-final

Nine, nine, eight – those were the goal differences for the European teams as they all comfortably won their quarter-finals at the IHF Super Globe on Tuesday.

Defending champions Barça Lassa left Asian champions Al-Najma from Bahrain behind with 37:28. VELUX EHF Champions League winners Montpellier HB did not have any problems to beat African club champions Hammamet, 31:22. And Füchse Berlin had a slightly tougher nut to crack in their duel with Pan American champions Taubate from Brazil but won by eight goals (33:25).

"It wasn't prettty, but it takes us through"

“At the end it was a victory of course – it wasn’t pretty, but it takes us through to the semi-finals and I think that’s the most important,” Barça captain Victor Tomas told IHF.info after the match, in which the defence had been the key success factor for the defending champions. With five goals, new arrival Casper Mortensen was the best scorer for the Spanish side.

After five straight VELUX EHF Champions League defeats, Montpellier could gain some confidence against Hammamet. Though the French side had to replace Diego Simonet, Michael Guigou and Jonas Truchanovicius due to injuries, the victory was never endangered. Best Montpellier scorers were youngster Kyllian Villeminot, Jean Faustin and Theophile Causse, with six strikes each.

Füchse Berlin stormed into a 10:3 lead against Taubate, and the German EHF Cup champions reached a double-digit advantage (22:12) just after the break. Remarkable fact was that defence specialists Christoph Reissky and Mijajlo Marsenic were the team’s top scorers with five goals each.

After less than two weeks, Barça and Montpellier meet again

In the first semi-final on Wednesday, Barça and Montpellier will meet less than two weeks after both teams also clashed in the VELUX EHF Champions League, with the Spanish side taking a clear 35:27 win. But last season, Montpellier eliminated Barça in the Last 16 on their way to the trophy.

Füchse hope to add another triumphant chapter to their Super Globe story. Facing Al-Sadd might be a good omen, as the Berlin side won both their titles (in 2015 and 2016) after eliminating the hosts in the semi-final. Al-Sadd reached the semi after beating Sydney in their quarter-final on Tuesday.

IHF Super Globe 2018: (all times CET)

Tuesday 16 October:

- Quarter-final:
Barça Lassa (ESP) vs Al-Najma (BHR) 37:28 (19:14)
Montpellier HB (FRA) vs Hammamet (TUN) 31:22 (16:10)
Taubate (BRA) vs Füchse Berlin (GER) 25:33 (11:19)
Al-Saad (QAT) vs Sydney (AUS) 27:22 (13:13)

Wednesday 17 October:

- Placement round 5-8:
12:00: Al-Najma vs Hammamet
14:00: Taubate vs Sydney

- Semi-finals:
16:00: Barça Lassa vs Montpellier HB
18:00: Füchse Berlin vs Al-Sadd

Friday 19 October:

12:00: Placement match 7/8
14:00: Placement match 5/6
16:00: Bronze medal match
18:00: Final
20.15: winners’ ceremony

All photos courtesy of IHF

TEXT: Björn Pazen / ew