After a very even final, the azulgranas prevailed in the penalty shootout
With this Champions League, the azulgranas already have 11 European championships
Barça was proclaimed champion of the Champions League after an incredible final that was decided on penalties after drawing the match (32-32). There are eleven Champions for the section, there are two finals in a row and it goes down in history because no one had ever achieved it, it is a new sextet for Barça and it is the consecration of a team that despite the changes on the bench has managed to reinvent itself and demonstrate who is still the king of Europe
On the first play, save by Andreas Wolff. It was a warning for sailors, but the truth is that the game started well for Barça’s interests. Aleix Gómez soon went ‘ON’ and the first two goals were born from his hand. The first was his work, the second after a robbery by the Catalan who assisted Ángel Fernández and he did not think about it.
With very forceful defenses on both sides of the court, it was Barça who seemed to have greater control of the game and after seven minutes there were already three goals ahead on the scoreboard. Things looked good, but Kielce is a lot of Kielce and despite the fact that a large part of the first one was in tow and Barça managed to establish +3 as a habit.
Aleix’s six goals in the first half do not hide the fact that both the Polish side and Barça were not very fluid in attack, although the defenses worked tirelessly to make it so. Alex Dujshebaev was not in tune, but on the other side neither did Mem find a way to break Kielce’s defence.
Kielce awakening
In the 25th minute Kielce tied the match (12-12) and after almost four minutes without scoring, the break was reached with the slightest advantage for Barça (14-13) thanks, of course, to a last goal from the Sabadell winger.
Followed the equality on the track
There were 30 minutes left to touch the glory and both teams knew what was at stake. Both had to change details to overcome the rival, and the instructions had already been given when they returned to the track.
It was in the first minutes of this second part when Kielce managed to get ahead (16-17), and Talan Dujshebaev’s men cannot be given even half a finger because they cling to it to grow unstoppably. A goal from Kulesh sowed doubts in Barça, who had a hard time stringing together team plays.
Gonzalo Perez de Vargas with its stops and the entrance of Makucwhich gave Barça a different rhythm, gave Barça back the lead, but the reality is that they entered in a few minutes of great equality.
As the minutes passed, the match for Barça became more complicated, coinciding with the awakening of Alex Dujshebaev. It was at that moment when a solid goal was most needed and if someone is a specialist in it, it is a Gonzalo who pulled inspiration to keep Barça in the pomade. Four consecutive stops were key.
A Fabregas goal after an assist from Mem accompanied by Karaleck’s exclusion could have changed the picture, but the Kielce resisted and stood firm. The equality on the scoreboard and the tension on the track continued.
With 10 minutes to go and with the score at 23-24, Carlos Ortega called for a down tempo to try to build a play to change the dynamic. They got the play and the goal, but Fàbregas had stepped on the line and the goal did not go up on the scoreboard. Immediately it was Talan Dujshebaev who stopped the match. His nerves were on edge.
Nor did things change immediately in the Polish team. And it was Aleix Gómez from a penalty who managed to break the dry spell and put the equality back on the scoreboard (24-24). Aleix himself had a counterattack to put Barça ahead again, but Andreas Wolff with a pardon prevented it.
Barça had the sentence but Mem failed
In the last minutes it was Barça who was in tow but two goals in 15 seconds of Mem y N’Guessan they returned the initiative to the azulgranas (27-26, in the 56th minute). It was important to stay there in the exchange of attacks. With a defense with Fabregas and Aleix advanced they achieved the objective but Dika Mem missed the shot with 28-27 on the scoreboard with 30 seconds to go. It was the sentence and he let himself escape. With two seconds to go, Karaleck sent the game into extra time.
followed the same script
The match tested the hearts of the 19,000 fans gathered in the stands, most of them from Kielce, who did not fail to cheer on their team celebrating the arrival of extra time in a big way.
It was not Mem’s day, who in the first kick of extra time sent the ball high again. After two incredible saves by Andreas Wolff Aleix, who if not, managed to beat the German goalkeeper to reach the extra time break with Barça one up (30-29).
In the second half of extra time the equality continued, nobody gave their arm to twist. Nothing was out of the planned script. Two Moryto penalties put Kielce ahead (31-32) to enter the last minute. Dika Mem equalized again. There were 32 seconds left. heart attack Kielce tried twice at the hands of Alex Dujshebaev, but nothing. The match went to penalties.
And Barça did not fail, they scored all five goals and Kielce managed only three. Alex Dujshebaev failed. Barça repeated the title for the first time in history since the Final Four existed.
Aleix Gómez also established himself as the top scorer in the Champions League with 104 goals, ahead of Dika Mem, taking the Pichichi award in the competition. It was the icing on a Sunday of glory for Barça
