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Reigning IHF Super Globe champions FC Barcelona began their 2015 campaign with a win against Egyptian side Al-Ahly Sports Club, before Sydney University Handball Club made history with their first win in their fourth campaign.

FC Barcelona vs Al-Ahly Sports Club 20:16 (12:8)

FC Barcelona’s defence kept Al-Ahly Sports Club from scoring until almost the five-minute mark, at which point the European side had already put two points on the board courtesy of right back Marko Kopljar and left back Wael Jallouz (2:1). A fast break for Karim Osman followed soon after and Barcelona found themselves in a level match that saw an equal score after 10 minutes (3:3).

Goalkeepers Danijel Saric and Mohamed Aly were proving difficult to pass at both ends, but FC Barcelona still inched ahead to a two-goal lead with an intercept and fast break by Raul Entrerrios.

Barcelona brought in some players from their bench – Filip Jicha and Kiril Lazarov, along with Kamil Syprzak as a defensive specialist subbing out for Daniel Sarmiento in attack – and Lazarov soon scored his first to push Barcelona in front by three (8:5, 19^th minute). A bleak six minutes followed for Al-Ahly, who remained scoreless until a ground shot from Mamdouh Abouebaid finally added another to their tally in the 25^th minute (11:6).

But the game was already all but decided – Barcelona took a four-goal lead into the break and though Al-Ahly pushed through till the 60^th minute, the European side were never really threatened. When Omar Elwakil received a red card after three two-minute suspensions, Barcelona were still three ahead (18:15, 54^th minute), and they held on to the whistle to move through to the Semi-Final stage. 

Al-Sadd vs Sydney University Handball Club 20:21 (10:9)

The game started slowly, with only one goal scored in the first seven minutes. It belonged to Al-Sadd’s Selvedin Omahic, but a scoring drought from both teams followed for a period of six minutes until Faisal Al Kuwari put their second point on the board. Sydney University Handball Club’s Diego Llorente Llamazares followed with two goals in quick succession and the match had finally begun (2:2, ninth minute). 

Mustafa Alkrad took Al-Sadd one in front just after the 10th minute (3:2), and soon after Adulla Alghamdi and Sydney Uni’s Renato Tupan Rui received two-minute suspensions that meant both teams were a player down. Hany Elfakharany was sent off just as Al-Sadd were at full strength again, and Sydney Uni took the opportunity to equalise to record a level score midway through the half (4:4). 

Al-Sadd crept ahead to a two-goal lead in the 19th and retained that advantage with five minutes left in the half (9:7). A fast break goal from Sydney Uni’s Joan Cornella just before the half-time whistle closed the gap to one. 

Al-Sadd were the first to score when the match resumed, but Rui pulled them back to a one-goal score line in the next attack and the race to the 60th minute was on. A breakthrough from Llorente equalised in the 42nd minute (13:13), and Rui scored a counter attack less than 60 seconds later to put Sydney Uni in front for the first time in the game (13:14). But Alghamdi hit back and with 15 minutes left on the clock the score remained level (15:15). 

Llorente caught fire in the last quarter of the game – he scored two goals in a row to give Sydney Uni a two-goal advantage with just over 11 minutes remaining (16:18). The Australian side stayed in front until Mustafa Alkrad levelled the score in the 55th minute (18:18), but Tomasz Szklarski soon put them back in the lead with a penalty goal as the clock ticked into the final five minutes (18:19). 

Llorente scored a fast break with a minute and 30 seconds left, putting the Australian team in front by two (19:21), and Al-Sadd lost the next attack to suddenly find themselves in big trouble. Alghamdi closed the gap to one inside the last 35 seconds, but it was too late – Sydney Uni held on to record the first ever win for a Australian or Oceania team at the IHF Super Globe. 

Read the MKB-MVM Veszprem-Esporte Clube Taubate and Füchse Berlin-Club Africain quarter-final match reviews here.