The Blaugrana are unstoppable on the counterattack and dominate the game from start to finish
Barça gave a handball lesson at the Palau Blaugrana and defeated Porto with a clear 40-33 that leaves them at the gates of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Carlos Ortega’s men were superior in all aspects of the game and displayed great offensive effectiveness, with Aleix Gómez (seven goals) as top scorer. Porto, who went on to tie the game at 10 all, ended up succumbing to the might of the Group B leaders, who have lost just one game in the entire group stage. Barça now have the chance to seal their direct passage to the quarter-finals next Thursday, when they visit the court of Magdeburg, their closest pursuer, who is two points away.
A spectacular Gonzalo and a decisive partial
The match started with a frantic pace and with exchange of goals between the two teams. Porto, needing a win to keep their chances of qualifying for the round of 16, put up an aggressive defense and looked for outside shots. But he was met by an inspired Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas, who stopped the Portuguese’s first four shots and finished the first half with 10 saves. The Barcelona goalkeeper was key in stopping Porto’s first start, which tied the score at 10 in the 15th minute. From there, Barça went into another gear and broke the game with a partial 10-3 , with goals of all colors. Carlsbogaard, Mem, Wanne, Janc, Frade and N’Guessan collaborated in the Blaugrana offensive, which reached the break with a five-goal lead (20-15).
Barça does not slow down and decides the match
In the second half, Barça continued to dominate the game without problems. Ortega introduced Aleix and Ariño on the wings and both responded with goals. Aleix, in particular, was very accurate and scored seven goals, some of great beauty. Pivot Luis Frade also took advantage of his minutes and scored three goals against his former team. Barça increased their income to 11 goals (35-24) and left the game to be decided. Porto tried to make up the result with goals from Veitia, Fernández and Areia, but could not avoid the thrashing. Barça finished the match with a resounding 40-33 and celebrated another victory in the Champions League, which puts them very close to the quarter-finals.
The classification and the next days
Barça leads Group B with 22 points, followed by Magdeburg with 20 and Veszprém with 18. The first two qualify directly for the quarter-finals, while the next two play in the round of 16. Porto is seventh with 6 points and it is very difficult to access the next phase. The last two days of the group stage will be played on March 1 and 8. Barça will visit Magdeburg and host GOG, while Porto will host Veszprém and visit Montpellier.
