Barça miss their highest-ever score by one

Barça (ESP) vs HC PPD Zagreb (CRO) 45:27 (24:13)

Like group B rivals Aalborg and Veszprém earlier today, Barça took their fourth victory in four matches and thanks to an 18-goal, 45:27 victory against Zagreb, they are on top with an incredible goal difference of +45.

With 152 goals scored in only four games, the Spanish side are in incredible form and were just one strike away from equalling their record EHF Champions League Men’s high score, when they beat Kolding 46:36 in 2009.

• Zagreb’s new coach Vlado Sola had a night to forget on his debut
• With just 13:32 on the clock, the difference was already 10 goals (14:4)
• In the 26th minute, Barça were 22:7 ahead, close to their biggest-ever half-time gap in an EHF Champions League Men’s match, which remains 23:7 against Tbilisi, Georgia in the 1998/99 season
• A match total of 72 goals is the new high-score this season, while 37 goals at half-time is also the highest this season
• With eight strikes, Barça’s right back Dika Mem is new current top scorer with 24 goals
• Barça have now won their last 17 EHF Champions League Men’s matches in a row and gone 37 unbeaten – including 21 home victories in a row

History repeats for Zagreb

HC PPD Zagreb have lost the last nine duels against Barça, including this match, in a series which also includes their biggest-ever defeat in the EHF Champions League, a 43:21 loss in Spain at the Palau Blaugrana in April 2015.

In the early days of the competition, Zagreb lost three Champions League finals in a row from 1997 until 1999 against the record winners - and in a total of 24 duels, the Croatian side have won only once – a 30:29 victory in 2012 in Barcelona.