Iñaki Urdangarin danced with O’Callaghan in the box at the Lanxess Arena when Barcelona managed to distance themselves on the scoreboard in a hard-fought and even game against the German side Kiel. The azulgrana team will have the opportunity to defend the title, something that no one has achieved since the new format of the competition, to add their eleventh Champions League, putting the icing on the cake of an excellent season, although less brilliant (if it can be classified as such) than the previous one, in which he did not lose any match.
The game began very evenly, with an exchange of blows and little effectiveness from the goalkeepers, who did not disrupt any attack. Neither Landin (3 stops and 14% accuracy) nor Gonzalo (3 and 17%) were protagonists in a very even first half in which the high percentage of effectiveness of the attacks stood out, 86% for the Germans and 79% for the azulgrana.
Aleix (7), Mem (4) and Fernández (3) stood out for Barça, while Wiencek (5), Reinkind (4) and Weinhold (3) were Kiel’s top scorers. At the end of the first act Barcelona was able to open a gap, which with goals from Aeix and Mem put themselves two goals ahead of the Germans, but Wiencek once again adjusted the distances.
Kiel did not miss the important absences of center Hendrik Pekeler, the best defender in the Champions League, nor of the Norwegian star Sander Sagosen. Their casualties limited the rotations and tactical variations of Filip Jicha’s team.
But in the second half the figure of Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas emerged, to psychologically break the German team with his saves at key moments (especially after Ben Ali was unfairly red-carded for a penalty on Ekberg that could have given Kiel wings) and allowed the take off culé on the scoreboard, which came to be six goals. Aleix, with eleven goals, was named man of the match.
Barcelona will face Kielce this Sunday (6:00 p.m. / DAZN), which eliminated Veszprem in the other semifinal. The Polish team, led by Spanish coach Talant Dujshebaev, defeated the Hungarians 35-37. Kielce will play their second final of the competition. Curiously, in the first, played in 2016, he was crowned against Veszprem. The Hungarians seem jinxed with the final four: they have qualified seven times and have never won any Champions League title, which has been eluded in four finals. It will be the third time Barcelona have played Kielce this year. He won the previous two.
