20.05.2021, 10:45
Barça cruise past Brest on way to Cologne

QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: The Spanish champions return to the EHF FINAL4 with a 73:57 aggregate win

Barça’s perfect season in the EHF Champions League continues. On Thursday, the Spanish champions became the first team since the introduction of the EHF FINAL4 in 2010 to reach the final event after winning all matches in the season.

Barça completed this year’s EHF FINAL4 line-up with a decisive quarter-final win over HC Meshkov Brest. After winning the first leg in Belarus by four goals last week, Barça were never in doubt and cruised to a 40:28 win, their 18th straight victory this season.

QUARTER-FINAL:

Barça (ESP) vs HC Meshkov Brest (BLR) 40:28 (21:13)
First leg result: 33:29. Barça win 73:57 on aggregate.

• it took Barça 12 minutes to take full control of the game after Brest kept up well with the hosts in the opening phase
• 11 players made it on the score sheet when Barça took an eight-goal lead in the first half
• Brest’s Mikita Vailupau scored seven times but Barça kept increasing their lead, reaching the 10-goal margin in the 38th minute
• while Barça celebrated a goal fest, goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez de Vargas also impressed by saving four penalties in the second half
• Barça are set for their ninth participation in the EHF FINAL4, joining PSG, Aalborg and Nantes in Cologne on 12/13 June

Barça’s near-flawless year goes on

Barça’s 2020/21 season just gets better and better. The team has now qualified for the EHF FINAL4 again – and this time as the first team ever without dropping a point all season. Still, this is no guarantee for anything in Cologne, as recent history has shown. In December, Barça lost the final of the delayed EHF FINAL4 from last season. But in June, THW Kiel won’t be there to prevent them from lifting the trophy.

TEXT: EHF / Kevin Domas