IHF | Veszprém deliver dramatic win against Barcelona to reach the ...

Veszprem HC returned to the final of the IHF Men’s Club World Championship for the first time in nine years, after a dramatic win in the semi-final against FC Barcelona, 39:34, after extra-time, which needed a strong comeback for the Hungarian side, which had dominated the first 45 minutes of the match.

Barcelona will now head to the bronze medal match, for the second season in a row, as their drought in the world club handball flagship competition is now extended to five years, the last title for the most decorated side coming in 2019.

SEMI-FINALS
FC Barcelona (ESP) vs Veszprem HC (HUN) 34:39 a.e.t. (13:15; 29:29)

There were plenty of storylines colliding in the first semi-final of the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship, where Veszprem, trying to secure their maiden finals berth since 2015, faced FC Barcelona.

First and utmost, it was the battle between Xavi Pascual, currently Veszprem’s coach, and his former side, Barcelona, where he coached between 2009 and 2021, securing the title at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship five times, still a record for the competition.

Two other former Barcelona players, centre back Luka Cindric and line player Ludovic Fabregas, where also there, on the court, for Veszprem, with the two sides knowing each other fully well, having played six times in the last three years, with Barcelona taking four wins in those matches.

But here, Veszprem had bigger ambitions, highlighted by bringing Pascual this summer, and they started the match better, brandishing their fast-paced style of handball, in what was expected to be a high-scoring match. Yet with Barcelona needing to change the goalkeeper, after Gonzalo Perez de Vargas saved only one of the first 11 shots he faced, Veszprem looked better.

Sure, Barcelona – undefeated this season – were quick to correct their mistakes, despite making six turnovers in the first half. But where Veszprem really shined was the goalkeeping department, with Rodrigo Corrales having a 43% saving efficiency, while Barcelona had only 25%.

Throughout the first half, where they had two 3:0 unanswered runs, Veszprem controlled the pace and the match, forcing their opponents to score with only 50% of their shots, as the Spanish powerhouse, the reigning Machineseeker EHF Champions League winners, failed to really get their attacking properly going, limited to only 13 goals.

But as Dika Mem scored four goals and dished two assists, Barcelona were not done and dusted yet, despite going down by three goals, 13:16, early in the second half, when Ludovic Fabregas scored Veszprem’s first goal of the second half.

Yet there was no separating the two teams, with Veszprem constantly leading, but Barcelona, thanks to their experience, coming closer and closer, with Mem improving his overall tally to nine goals, as the Spanish side was only one goal down, 23:24, with 13 minutes to go.

As Veszprem reverted to their original line-up, with Luka Cindric, Nedim Remili and Yehia Elderaa in the back line, Barcelona forced Pascual to take a team time-out, after the Spanish powerhouse tied the score, 25:25, with Mem and Aleix Gomez, the right flank of the Spanish side, constantly punishing Veszprem.

Another quick team time-out, the last of the match for Veszprem, did nothing to help the Hungarian side, as Barcelona’s comeback was on the cards, after the Spanish side used a 6:2 run, fueled by Gomez and Mem, but also with some saves from Nielsen, to take the reigning Champions League winners to a 29:27 lead, with three minutes to go.

Yet the match was far from over. With goals from Hugo Descat and Yehia Elderaa, who were Veszprem’s best scorers in the regular time, combining for 15 goals, the Hungarian side tied the score, 29:29, with Barcelona having 39 seconds to make or break this match. But when Aleix Gomez missed a penalty with 13 seconds left, Veszprem had the chance to win, only for the last gasp shot of Sergei Kosorotov to hit the post, pushing the match into extra-time.

And there, in the business end, it was only Veszprem. First, the Hungarian side used a 4:1 run in the first five minutes to create a 33:30 lead, tying the biggest lead of the match, putting Barcelona under huge pressure, as the Spanish side’s attack failed to really get the needed goals.

There was no question about the winner as the time passed, as Veszprem throttled the Spanish side, with Elderaa, Descat and Nedim Remili, who were the team’s best scorers and combined for 24 goals, with Remili having four of Veszprem’s 10 goals in the extra-time.

Veszprem will play for the title on Thursday, with the winner of the second semi-final, between Al-Ahly and SC Magdeburg, with Xavi Pascual’s side aiming to become the first Hungarian team to seal the trophy, after conceding the final of the 2015 edition, 27:28, against Fuchse Berlin.

On the other side, Barcelona have missed the final of the competition for the second time in a row, and will have to wait at least one more year for their sixth trophy in the IHF Men’s Club World Championship, after conceding yet another tough loss.

Player of the Match: Nedim Remili (Veszprem HC)