Summary: Granollers and Berlin last standing in title race
The semi-finals in the EHF European League Men 2022/23 saw Granollers beat Göppingen and Füchse Berlin defeat Montpellier. Granollers and Füchse will battle for the trophy on Sunday at 18:00 CEST, while Montpellier and Göppingen play for third at 15:30 CEST.
I believed until the last second that we could win. There was no single breaking point in the match — we simply missed too many chances. Granollers kept on fighting, and they have the heart of a champion.
I am very, very happy for this result, for the club and the history of the club. It was a very tough match and hard for us. Göppingen have powerful players who are difficult to defend. In the second half, we defended better than before. Our goalkeeper Rangel [da Rosa] helped us and we could run a lot and run more and score better. My players are so young, but today, they played like experienced players.
19:39 SEMI-FINAL RESULT | GRANOLLERS VS GÖPPINGEN 31:29
An incredible finish to a thrilling match. Göppingen reduced to one in the last minute and still had plenty of time to equalise, but Granollers scored on their attack with Jan Gurri netting his ninth from nine shots to secure the win.
19:34 SEMI-FINAL UPDATE | GRANOLLERS VS GÖPPINGEN 30:28
46 seconds until the final buzzer and Granollers line player Esteban Salinas may have just netted the match winner. Let's see what Göppingen can throw at their opponents in this final stage...
19:31 SEMI-FINAL UPDATE | GRANOLLERS VS GÖPPINGEN 29:28
75 seconds remain and it's a semi-final just the way neutral fans like it: A true on-the-edge-of-your-seat finish is coming up for sure — or perhaps we can start to smell extra time.
19:22 SEMI-FINAL UPDATE | GRANOLLERS VS GÖPPINGEN 27:27
With eight minutes on the clock, it's turning into a real nail-biter. What is going to separate the teams in the end? Every error is punished quickly and the ball is a precious, precious possession right now, but both teams are losing it occasionally due to errors. The pressure is on big time. Who will overcome it?
19:15 SEMI-FINAL UPDATE | GRANOLLERS VS GÖPPINGEN 25:24
Are Granollers going to make Flensburg their second home? After their incredible quarter-final victory over Flensburg in the German team's own arena, the Spanish side are certainly enjoying themselves now. One goal in it so it's far from over, with just over 10 minutes to go, but the comeback success has clearly inspired the team to new heights.
Below, enjoy a gorgeous goal from Göppingen's Jon Andersen as Josip Sarac helps open a big gap.
19:04 SEMI-FINAL UPDATE | GRANOLLERS VS GÖPPINGEN 22:22
And they're back in the game! Granollers are rewarded for their efforts as they score two quick goals in a row, in between which Göppingen hit the post with their shot, taking the score from 20:22 to level in a matter of seconds in minute 40.
It was a superb fast break combination between Rangel da Rosa and Sergi Franco that did it, underlining da Rosa's importance for his side yet again, although his save rate has dropped off since his miraculous period in the first half.
One factor is clear: neither side can match Berlin when it comes to depth, as rotation in this match has been far less frequent than in the first and both Göppingen and Granollers are clearly led by a few key individuals. The top scorers for each side are backs: Antonio Garcia Robledo for Granollers and Josip Sarac for Göppingen, while Jan Gurri has netted five from five for the Spanish team.
18:56 SEMI-FINAL UPDATE | GRANOLLERS VS GÖPPINGEN 18:19
Three minutes played in the second period and Göppingen are fending off Granollers so far.
Should Göppingen win, it will add to an interesting series that started in 2015: Every second year, the final in the second-tier European cup competition has featured two German teams. In 2017, it was even Göppingen versus Berlin in the EHF Cup final, won by Göppingen.
Füchse Berlin fully deserved the victory and the spot in the final, when you see the whole match. It was a difficult match for us. In the first half we played on a good level, equal to Berlin — unfortunately the score did not reflect our play. In the second half our level went down physically and mentally, and it is the second half which counts. We will try to recover well to play this important match for third place.
We had a completely different energy in the second half. We were running fast breaks — this was decisive. Montpellier played an amazing season and have shown today how strong they are. I am proud of my team and our fans and happy for them that they can see us in the final.
16:45 SEMI-FINAL UPDATE | MONTPELLIER VS BERLIN 19:25
At the 43-minute mark, the match seems to be getting away from Montpellier. Two suspensions for key attackers Kyllian Villeminot, unrelated to tough defence or attacker fouls — incorrect substitution and a hit to goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev's face — do not help. Six minutes without a goal from the French team open the door for Füchse to pull further away, while Milosavljev keeps thwarting MHB's attempts.
16:37 SEMI-FINAL UPDATE | MONTPELLIER VS BERLIN 19:23
Füchse have really got their motors running now, outclassing Montpellier in every area — their shooting accuracy has jumped 19 per cent compared to the first half, while MHB's has dropped by the same amount. In goal, Dejan Milosavljev keeps getting stronger, counting four saves at a massive rate of 57 per cent for the second period.
16:25 SEMI-FINAL UPDATE | MONTPELLIER VS BERLIN 16:18
65 seconds is all it takes for Füchse to show they made use of the half-time break. Goal Mathias Gidsel, save Dejan Milosavljev, goal Mijajlo Marsenic, and suddenly Berlin had not only their first lead of the match but their first two-goal gap.
There is plenty of time to go yet, but this explosive opening from the German team may be telling regarding their rhythm in this second period.
16:22
Two clubs, two countries, two foxes — bravo to the team mascots, who do such a wonderful job around the arenas throughout the season. Which fox will be celebrating at full-time?
