Atletico Guardes step closer towards title

FINAL, FIRST LEG
Club Balonmán Atlético Guardés (ESP) vs Antalya Konyaalti BSK (TUR) 23:17 (15:10)

• Antalya led 1:0 and 2:1 early in the game, but they never were in front afterwards, as the home side firmly seized the initiative
• Atletico used a 4:0 run to take an 8:4 lead midway through the first half, and they went on to boast a five-goal advantage at the break, 15:10
• the Spanish side consistently led by four to six goals throughout the second half, cruising to a 23:17 victory
• Atletico did a good job in defence, conceding just seven goals in the second half, and their goalkeeper Marisol Carratu had an overal 33 per cent save rate for the match
• only five of Antalya's players put their names on the scoresheet, with Sanja Premovic and Alena Ikhneva being the best with five goals

Portuguese duo play key role

The Portuguese back court players, Sandra Marques and Patricia Da Silva were key to Atletico's attack, combining for 13 of their team's 23 goals. While Marques, the top scorer of the Spanish team in the competition, added seven goals to her tally of 55, Da Silva netted six times.

Thanks to this duo, the team from Pontevedra had the upper hand in this low-scoring match.  However, Atletico should take nothing for granted, as Antalya will try to make a strong comeback at home next Sunday.