Barça showed why they are the European champions and the best candidate to defend the title for the third year in a row: when they had practically lost the game, they achieved an agonizing victory (27-28), with the combination of saves by Emil Nielsen ( 4/8) and a goal from Aleix Gómez on the counter with 21 seconds to go, after lifting 4 goals from behind in the last 6 minutes against a tough Celje. It is the strength of conviction and ambition of a huge team.
Barça arrived at the Dvorana Zlatorog in Celje with their homework done -already qualified for the quarterfinals-, as the absolute master of the Champions League -the only undefeated team of the 16-, and the only incentive, beyond victory, to secure the first position without having to risk it on the last day in Kielce. On the contrary, the Slovenians were playing for the 5th position in the group and the possibility of playing in the round of 16. So the divergence of motivation was evident. And so it was reflected in the exit to the track.
The local team, very aggressive and seasoned from the start, printed more legs and a high pace to deliver a dissuasive 4-1 start in just 7 minutes. Barça looked trailing, but reacted well with an identical set to tie (5-5) after 10 minutes with goals from Makuc -from the starting center-back-, Mem and the two wingers.
However, it was a comeback that did not have continuity. And it happened twice (from 8-5 to 9-9, and to 13-10), showing that Barça was not at all comfortable on the track. The defense did not close enough, Ortega ordered the 6:0 advance to 9 meters, but Strmljan drilled at will and kept the distance of 2-3 goals.
And in attack, where the Blaugrana team weakened the most, the coach had to resort to the second units (Frade, Richardson, Janc and Cindric) to try to react. He did it in a few moments (Frade's 11-10 was the closest approach, at 21m), but the reaction was aborted on the one hand by the goalkeeper Gabersek, extraordinary with 7 saves in the first half, and the numerous exclusions, up to 4 ( for only 2 from Celje), which cost him a 5-0 in numerical inferiority.
The refereeing did not like Carlos Ortega at all, who complained bitterly at intermission. But Barça would need something more than a more fair and 'normal' performance from the two Austrians to avoid the first defeat of this edition and lift the 3 goals in the half (15-12). More intensity and more success.
After the break, the exchange of blows kept Barça 3-4 goals behind. He could not find the key to dismantle the very aggressive Slovenian defense, nor to close his goal, very vulnerable. The three exclusions in a row in the ranks of Celje (m. 37, 39 and 40) allowed the Blaugrana team to compress the score to 21-20 with two goals in a row from Wanne and one against Richardson (m.44). But the game was still very irregular and intermittent.
However, the exclusion of Frade (m.46) made Barça fall into a spiral again with a 2-0 run that returned them to the starting box: 24-20, four goals down with 12 minutes to go. Ortega asked for time and ordered the team, gave encouragement -to a missing Mem (2 goals)- and tried to lift the game, while bringing on Nielsen and putting up a more pressing 6:0 defense. It had an effect: a 0-3 (Wanne 2 and Mem) brought the Blaugrana back to life with 25-23 with 7m30s to go.
Barça entered in the last 5 minutes with -2 (27-25) and the gala seven, with the heavyweights on the court. Ortega called his last timeout to ask for speed, recover balls and put himself on defense 5: 1, his last formula to turn the duel around.
With the opportunity to get within 1 goal twice, Wanne sent to the stands and Gabersek stopped one against Aleix Gómez. Nielsen gave hope with one more save (contributed 4/8, 50%) and Mem made it 27-26 with 2m20s to go. Celje missed their attack and Mem tied at 27 with 1m20s to go. A technical infringement by the Slovenians gave Barça the last ball, which launched an electrifying counterattack executed by Aleix Gómez with 21 seconds remaining: the 27-28 score that gave the blaugrana their 11th victory, the unbeaten leaders of group B. best team in Europe at the moment.
Celje: Gabersek, Marguc (8, 5p), Mlakar (2), Strmljan (5), Ivankovic, Mazej (3), Zabic (2); Cokan, Mitja Janc (1p), Vlah (4, 2p), Suholeznik (1), Martinovic (1), Belkaied (ps).
Barça: Pérez de Vargas, Aleix Gómez (3), Mem (5), Fàbregas (2), Carlsbogard, N'Guessan (2), Wanne (5); Janc (2), Cindric (2), Makuc (2), Richardson (4, 2p), Frade (1), Soler, Nielsen (ps).
Referees: Brkic and Jusufhodzic (Austria). They excluded Mazej (2), Ivankovic, Suholeznik, Martinovic and Mlakar, from Celje, and Mem, Wanne, N'Guessan, Frade and Richardson, from Barça.
Partials: 2-1, 5-4, 7-5, 10-9, 12-10, 15-12 (rest); 18-14, 21-18, 22-20, 25-22, 27-25, 27-28.
Runway: Zlatorog Hall, de Celje.
