HBC Nantes 30-25 Barça: Empty handed

Barça are coming back empty-handed from Cologne after losing the third-place match against Nantes (30-25). Carlos Ortega’s team struggled throughout, while the French side delivered a solid performance to claim third in the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2025.

The defeat closes Barça’s 2024–25 season, one that ends on a bitter note after missing out on a 13th European crown, but still saw major domestic success: Supercopa de Catalunya, Supercopa Ibérica, Copa de España, Liga Plenitude and Copa del Rey.

Nantes took control early, led by goalkeeper Ivan Pesic, who stopped over half of Barça’s shots in the first half. Barça’s attack looked sluggish, much of the fizz missing because this was not the game they wanted to be playing in today, having lost out in frustrating fashion to Magdeburg in Saturday's semi-final.

The Catalans managed just 9 goals by the break. Attempts to rally in the second half, led by Aleix Gómez and Melvyn Richardson, fell short. Despite narrowing the gap to three goals, Barça never seriously threatened the outcome, and it all ended 30-25.

MATCH STATS

HBC NANTES, 30
BARÇA, 25

HBC Nantes: Pesic, Rivera, Minne, Tournat, Briet, Odriozola, Abdi, Lagarde, Bos, Leopold, Yoshida, Bonnefond, Avelange, Ovnicek, Gaber, Biosca.

Barça: Nielsen, Richardson, Janc, J. Rodríguez, Carlsbogard, Palomino, Wanne, Mem, Aleix, N'guessan, Ariño, Frade, Bazan, Makuc, Cikusa, Gerard.

Periods: 4-1, 5-4, 7-4, 10-6, 13-7, 14-9 // 17-13, 20-15, 22-19, 24-20, 27-23, 30-25.

Referees:  Igor Covalciuc -  Alexei Covalciuc. Red card for Briet of Nantes.