FC Barcelona proved once again too tough for Egyptian side Al-Ahly, in an exciting match, which ended the preliminary round of the 2023 IHF Men’s Super Globe in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

The Spanish champions, which have already won the title five times, secured a 37:26 win, progressing to the semi-finals, after their second win in as many days.

GROUP A
Al-Ahly (EGY) vs FC Barcelona (ESP) 26:37 (16:19)

They say good things come last and this was precisely the case for the preliminary round of the 2023 IHF Men’s Super Globe, with this phase of the competition ending on a high, a fiery clash between Egyptian powerhouse Al-Ahly and the most decorated team in the history of the competition, FC Barcelona.

While it might not have been the closest game, with that honour still staying with the opener between Al-Najma and Industria Kielce, the quality of the match between Al-Ahly and Barca was excellent, with both teams going full on for the win, as the winners would have sealed the coveted semi-finals berth.

And it was Al-Ahly which started the match better, taking twice a two-goal lead, with left back Abdelrahman Abdou being virtually unstoppable, with his powerful shots frustrating Barca’s defence and especially goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez de Vargas, who failed to stop them.

Sooner rather than later, Barca eased back into the match, as they shifted their defensive approach to a more aggressive one, which yielded immediate dividends, forcing Al-Ahly to turn the ball over or try difficult shots, which Perez de Vargas stopped.

Barca first took the lead in the 19th minute, courtesy of a 3:0 unanswered run, with three goals from left back Timothey N’Guessan, who began dominating Al-Ahly’s defence, with the Egyptian side starting to struggle from a physical point of view. 

It was not the only excellent run for Barca, who deployed another 4:0 unanswered run in only two minutes and six seconds, as their fast breaks became the main weapon used to unsettle Al-Ahly, even if N’Guessan received a red card for a tough foul against Abdou, leaving a big gap for the Spanish side.

Yet did that not deter Barca, which continued to dominate, especially in the start of the second half. Another 4:0 run to open the second part of the game was the pivotal moment of the match, one from which Al-Ahly never recovered, as the gap ballooned to seven goals, 23:16.

That was the point of no return for Al-Ahly, with mistakes piling up, especially as Barca’s second goalkeeper, Emil Nielsen, was amazing, saving five of the first nine shots he faced, for a 56% saving efficiency, constantly frustrating the Egyptian side’s attack.

Eventually, Barca completed an excellent performance, proving that they are a strong side regardless of their roster, by taking another clear win, 37:26, protecting an exciting record, having never lost earlier in the semi-finals in all of their nine participations in the IHF Men’s Super Globe.

With their second win in as many matches, Barca are now heading to the semi-finals, as they extended their dream to win the sixth title at the IHF Men’s Super Globe. However, they will face a sturdy challenge from EHF European League Men winners, Füchse Berlin, in a fiery clash expected on Saturday in the Dammam Sports Hall.

Al-Ahly knew that they will have a tough challenge on their hands to tie their performance from the last edition of the IHF Men’s Super Globe, when they made the semi-finals, but they will hold their heads up high when they face Kuwait SC in the Placement Matches 5/8 on Saturday, aiming to finish once again in the top five in the competition.

hummel Player of the Match: Emil Nielsen (FC Barcelona)