Barça´s coach, Manolo Cadenas said days before the game that Kiel is the best team in the world and he felt on his own skin how true his conclusion was. His team, who won Champions League seven times, got a handball lesson from a squad who was totally superior today.
The hosts began very concentrated and were in lead with 4:1 after 4 minutes, but Lozano and Romero scored for 4:3 and later for 6:5 (8.) Soon after, the Catalonians showed that they couldn´t keep up with the opponent despite a very strong performance from Iker Romero, 6 goals in the first half. On the other side, for Nikola, who played without mistake (6 goals/6 shots), the game was already over after 16 minutes because of an injury. He came in only to score from 7 meter line for 15:11. His place was taken by Filip Jicha, who performed magnificent, scoring 9 times until the end.
While Barcelona relied almost exclusively on Iker Romero and Laszlo Nagy in attack, in the home team every player took the responsibility. And when they failed in a action or another, there was Titi Omeyer (22 saves), who saved like a God in goal. After 18 minutes, the Champions League titleholder was in front with 5 goals (13:8), a margin that they defended succesfully until the break (20:15).
In the second half, almost every rival player missed in front of Omeyer, Lövgren proved again that he is one-of-a-kind playmaker and his teammates scored how they wanted. Barça, except Lozano (9 goals) was in a sorry state but Jicha & co. had no mercy and extended their lead ´til 13 goals: 40:27 (56.). In the last two minutes Lund and Kavticnik missed a couple of fastbreaks, allowing their "enemies" to reduce the advance ´til 10 goals, 41:31.
Statistics
THW Kiel - FC Barcelona 41:31 (20:15)
THW Kiel: Omeyer (1.-60., 22 saves), M. Andersson (didn´t play); Lund (1), K. Andersson (6), Lundström, Kavticnik (2), Anic (didn´t play), Lövgren (5), Ahlm (6), Szilagyi (didn´t play), Karabatic (6/2), Klein (6), Jicha (9); Coach: Serdarusic
FC Barcelona: Hvidt (1.-18., 30.-49., 53.-60., 7/1 saves), Barrufet (18.-30., 49.-53., 4/1 saves); Nøddesbo (1), Garcia (2), Tomas (1), Garabaya, Lozano (9), Fernandez, Ugalde (2), Romero (9), Nagy (4), Nenadic (1), Rocas (2/1), Xepkin; Coach: Cadenas
