Barça stormed the Stade Pierre de Coubertin in Paris and put a foot and a half into the final four in Cologne. The Blaugrana team left the classification very much on track, for the sixth consecutive year, among the four best teams in Europe by destroying PSG 22-30 in a brilliant second half in which they signed a superb, spectacular comeback. The partial was explicit: 8-19 in the second 30 minutes.
A huge defense was joined by the differential contribution of Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas with 11 stops, the baton of young Petar Cikusa (4) and the goals of Dika Mem (7), Ricardson (6) and Frade (6).
Barça surprised at the start by playing with a first line with Carslbogard, Richardson as center back and Dika Mem, with Aleix Gómez and Ariño on the wingers, and Frade in the pivot.
Thanks to a great 6:0 defense, the Blaugrana took the first lead (3-4) at 9 minutes through Aleix Gómez on the run, despite the fact that in the first 10 minutes they missed two penalties (both the end of Sabadell).
Surprisingly, Aleix missed three consecutive shots, coinciding with PSG’s first acceleration to 2 (7-5, 8-6). Barça could not find solidity in the game and Ortega moved the bench when he found himself 3 down (9-6, at 16m44s): Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas replaced an uninspired Nielsen (only 2 stops) and Petar Cikusa took the helm, At the same time, Aleix was relieved by Janc.
Ortega called for time with the 11-8 (at 20m) to give courage to his team and encourage them to improve their aim. “We’re going well, but we have to put it in,” said the coach. The Blaugrana attack, dazzled by a huge Palicka (9 stops in the first half), only found resolution with Mem (4 of the 9 goals at 21 minutes), despite Peleka’s mixed defense.
Ortega found the breakthrough with the second youngest units, Javi Rodríguez and Petar Cikusa, who adjusted the score (12-11), but before reaching the break PSG took another leap with goals from N’Tanzi and Sypzak from a penalty: a 14-11 that showed the alarming lack of Blaugrana aim with only 50% shooting success (75% for PSG).
After the restart, Barça had a prodigious, wonderful reaction. With a 5:1 defense with Janc as the forward, with the game direction of Cikusa, with the 6 stops from Pérez de Vargas and the goals from Frade (3), Mem (2) and Ariño (2) as a spur, the team Blaugrana turned the game around. The partial says it all: a 1-8 in the first 13 minutes, which led to 16-19.
In a flash, Barça had the game very much on track. He looked solid and confident, everything came out. Petar Cikusa dared everything and made it 4 (17-21 at 46m). In 18 minutes he had already scored as many goals as in the first half (18-22), and Ariño and Richardson joined the party to make it 6 with another counterattack and another goal into an empty net (18-24).
After Gonzalo made his 10th save, Barça entered the last 10 minutes with a 5-goal lead (19-24). The victory was no longer in danger and in the final stretch they were able to increase the lead to 8 goals for the quarterfinal return at the Palau Blaugrana next Thursday, May 2.
PSG: Andreas Palicka (Jannick Green); Ruben Marchan (-), Luc Steins (3), Sadou Ntanzi (1), Adam Keita (1), Ferran Sole (4), Kent Robin Tonnesen (4), Kamil Syprzak (7, 3p.), Luka Karabatic (- , Yoann Gibelin (-), Jacob Holm (1), Nikola Karabatic (-), Wallem-Konrad Peleka (1), Elohim Prandi (-) and Leo Plantin (-).
Barça: Nielsen (Pérez de Vargas); Valera (-), Carlsbogard (2), Dika Mem (7), Aitor Ariño (3), Hampus Wanne (-), Blaz Janc (-), N’Guessan (-), Aleix (1), Thiagus Petrus (- ), Haniel Langaro (-), Richardson (6, 3p.), Frade (6), Petar Cikusa (4) and Javi Rodríguez (1).
Referees: Robert Schulze (ALE) and Tobias Tönnies (ALE). They excluded Luka Karabatic (2), Ferran Solé and Kent Robin Tonnesen for PSG and Blaz Janc and Luís Frade for Barça.
Partials: 2-2, 4-4, 8-6, 11-8, 12-10, 14-11 (rest); 15-12, 16-17, 17-21, 19-24, 22-25, (22-30).
Clue: Stade Pierre de Coubertin in Paris. 3,500 spectators.
