Nantes' unbeaten run in C1 ends in Barcelona

The Handball Club of Nantes saw its series of four matches without defeat in the Champions League come to an end in the FC Barcelona arena on Thursday (36-30).

The “H”, who had held the reigning European champion in check three weeks ago at home, let him take the lead in Pool B (15 pts against 9) after eight days out of 14. The Nantes residents however, for around twenty minutes (13-11) manhandled the reigning European champion, the only team still undefeated this season in C1, driven in particular by the success of Julien Bos (8/9).

But this good start was spoiled by a completely missed end to the first period, during which they conceded an 8-1, punished on the counter-attack for losing the ball and coming up against goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez De Vargas (5/16 ) to find themselves trailing by four lengths at half-time (18-14). They also suffered the power from afar of Timothey Nguessan: in the absence of Dika Mem, operated on for a dislocated right shoulder on Tuesday and absent for two to three months, the right-back took matters into his own hands on the rear base (8/10).

A month after announcing his international retirement and while the France team could be destitute at the right-back position at the World Cup from mid-January, with the probable absence of Elohim Prandi in addition to that of Kyllian Villeminot. In the second half, the “H” never managed to catch up at half-time, despite reducing the gap to two goals in the 39th minute (23-21).

In the end, he missed too many opportunities, in numerical superiority or on the counter-attack, like this -3 ball missed by Ayoub Abdi five minutes from the end (33-29, 55th). He will travel to Zagreb next Wednesday to resume his progress.