Group A results - Round 8
While the Parisians got narrow win over Flensburg (32-30), Barcelona and Szeged maintained their momentum by defeating Aalborg and Elverum respectively. So too Celje won again, claiming two important points in Zagreb.
Barcelona - Aalborg: 44-35
Playing at home, the Catalans did not leave Aalborg much to hope for. With a clear lead after five minutes of play (5-1), Barcelona were impressive but the Danish team got back on level terms heading into the last ten minutes of the first half. But the Blaugranas dug deep and found the resources to make sure they went into the break five goals to the good (22-17). After that, the second half was one-way traffic, with Aleix Gomez in great form (9 from 10).
Barcelona remain group leaders, locked on points with Paris, ahead of their clash at home to Flensburg next Saturday.
Zagreb - Celje: 27-31
Round 8 featured a second consecutive win for Celje, who, after winning at home against the Croats in Round 7, once again came out on top. The Slovenian side led for the entire match, thanks mainly to their 21-year-old Croatian left-back Josip Sarac, who fired 10 from 13.
Zmaga za vse klubske generacije od 1992 dalje. Po 27 letih prvič v gosteh premagali največe rivale @RKZagreb . #rkcpl #rokomet #handball pic.twitter.com/8UaNJXkEvB
— RK Celje Piv. Laško (@RKCPL) November 14, 2019
It was an important win for Celje, who firmed in sixth place, which will see them through to the round of 16 should they finish there. Now, the Slovenians can even think about climbing the table, as they have a five-point lead over Elverum and only one point less than Flensburg in fifth.
Elverum - Szeged: 25-26
Elverum's poor start to the campaign will have probably put a bit of pressure on the Norwegian team. Four goals behind after just eight minutes of play (2-6), Elverum never managed to catch up to their visitors. Five goals clear at the break (9-14), Szeged cruised through the match until they got a scare late on, shipping five unanswered goals and seeing their lead slip to just a single strike (57th : 23-24). However, in the end Szeged won by the smallest of margins to remain just a single point behind the top two.
Velux EHF Champions League Round 9 fixtures:
- Barcelona - Flensburg: Saturday 23 November, 20:00
- Aalborg - Paris: Sunday 24 November, 16:50 (beIN Sports Max 5)
- Zagreb - Elverum: Sunday, November 24, 17:00
- Celje - Szeged: Sunday, November 24, 17:00
(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)