Barça 44-26 Ángel Ximénez Puente Genil: Untouchable in the league

Still only wins so far this season in the domestic competition, as the Barça handball team have defeated Puente Genil 44-26 in the penultimate game of the year at the Palau Blaugrana. The Andalusian side showed fight for the first ten minutes or so, but couldn't do much against a very solid blaugrana side after half-time.

The game began very evenly. Barça scored 8 goals in practically 10 minutes, but Puente Genil kept with them and by the 15th minute they had slowed the game down to stop the home side from pulling away.

The tactic didn't work for long though, as 4 goals by Carlsbogard and 3 by Cikusa helped increase the blaugranes' lead to eight by the 26th minute (17-9). The side from Córdoba then managed a couple of good plays before halftime to take the score to 19-12.

Barça stepped on the gas after the break, a flood of goals mirroring the heavy rain falling outside the Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona. The entire team were scoring, and once the game once under control, Carlos Ortega made the most of the opportunity to give other players some time on the court.

Another key component was keeper Nielsen, proving a proverbial wall, making 18 saves to go with the 44 goals by he team to help confirm another blaugrana victory. Carlos Ortega's side have two more Liga Plenitude games in 2024 and will be looking to end the first set of matches having won them all.

BARÇA 44PUENTE GENIL 26

Barça: Nielsen, Richardson, Janc, J. Rodríguez, Carlsbogard, Palomino, Ariño - starting seven - Bazan, Wanne, Blas, N'Guessan, Duque, Makuc, Frade, Cikusa

Puente Genil: Tekaya, Cabello, Ramos, Cuenca, Mosquera, Serrano, Jánosi - starting seven - Keita, Bernabeu, Ledi, Aizen, Sousa, Ramos.

Parciales: 4-3, 7-4, 9-6, 11-8, 15-9, 19-12 // 22-14, 27-17, 33-18, 37-20, 41-24, 44-26

Árbitros: Ignacio García Serradilla - Andreu Marín Lorente