Barça 30-31 Magdeburg: So close

Barça will not be able to fight for a 13th Champions League crown. Overwhelmed by too many adverse factors, the blaugrana were forced to perform a feat of sheer bravery just to stay in Sunday’s final hunt. They left everything on court, but it wasn’t enough: SC Magdeburg edged them 30-31, sending Barça into the third-place play-off.

Textbook start

Win today, keep the dream alive. A good start isn’t everything, but it helps, and Barça opened to perfection.

Carlos Ortega’s men came out flying, yet Magdeburg are not a side that lets itself be trampled on. After a Barça lapse the Germans notched their opener and began chasing. Seven minutes in they drew level at 5-5, but for the rest of the half, Barça led the scoreboard.

The Dika Mem show

Blaugrana superiority had one clear name: Dika Mem. The captain donned his superhero cape to ignite Barça’s attack. Seven goals from eight shots... Makuc and N’Guessan also chipped in, the shooting was sharp, whereas the Germans were less clinical.

Barça built a three-goal cushion that held until the dying moments of the half.

German revival

Everything changed late on. Two straight Magdeburg strikes cut it to 17-15. And then came the biggest blow of all: Thiagus Petrus saw a red card. Seconds from the interval a Lagergren rocket tied it 18-18. There was a job to do.

Playing catchup

After the restart Barça again pushed three clear within ten minutes, but this time Magdeburg refused to let the gap grow. Keeper Nikola Portner was pivotal, and by the 46th minute the Germans led (24-25).

From then on the Catalans had everything against them: Magdeburg’s momentum, mounting injuries, and some more than questionable calls. Star man Dika Mem had to be carried off by team-mates and played no further part. This was getting worse.

Nielsen took the mantle, his saves and even goals keeping Barça alive, but it felt as if nothing was meant to let Barça reach the final. The closing minutes were chaotic: two more reds (Carlsbogard and Ariño) plus other contentious decisions, but Barça were right in it until the end when Hornke’s last-second strike put the game to bed.

Final score 30-31: Barça are condemned to the match nobody wants—the battle for third place.

MATCH STATS

BARÇA, 30
MAGDEBURG, 31

Barça: Nielsen, Janc, D. Mem, Makuc, N'Guessan, Frade, Ariño, Richardson, Carlsbogard, Aleix, Wanne, Petrus, Palomino, Petar Cikusa, Javi Rodriguez, Vicent Gerard.

Magdeburg: Sergey Hernandez, Magnusson, Jensen, Serradilla, Claar, Hornke, Mertens, Lagergren, Jensen, Krsitjansson, Bergendahl, Zechel, Petterson, Weber, Portner.

Periods: 4-3, 7-5, 10-9, 14-12, 17-15, 18-18  //  21-20, 23-21, 24-23, 26-27, 29-29, 30-31

Referees: Slave Nikolov - Gjorgji Nachevski. Red cards for Petrus, Carlsbogard and Ariño.