Once again, Ángel Ximénez fell to the ground after suffering a comeback in the second half. It started against the grain even if within the party, I managed to come back and maintain a three-goal lead. However, in the final stretch of the match, they came out as losers in the exchange of blows and ceded the victory to Anaitasuna who did an excellent defensive job.
Ángel Ximénez Puente Genil came out to bite from the first minute. After five minutes, he left his lead on the scoreboard, although it was only two goals. (3-5, 5 minutes). A good start at home for Paco Bustos’ boys. Their joy didn’t last long as Anaitasuna turned things around and scored a point five minutes later. Not only did they maintain their lead on the scoreboard, but they increased it until reaching the halfway point of the first half, two ahead of Pontano’s team, who resisted and waited for their moment.
The good efficiency of Angel Ximénez, led by a good Paco Bernabéu and Mosquera. Dani Ramos, with a shot from seven meters, managed to reverse the score (9-8, 16 minutes) and Pontano’s team had to recover from Keita’s disqualification in the final stretch of the first half. The duel turned into an exchange of blows until the break, from which Ángel Ximénez came out alive and equalized after the first half (15-15, min. 30).
The equality and the intensity were maintained in the first minutes of the second half, the distance did not exceed a goal. However, Ángel Ximénez Puente Genil exchanged roles with his rival and pressed the accelerator in this second half until obtaining for the first time a double advantage thanks to a goal from Janosi. (17-19, minutes 37). An advantage that Pontano’s team managed to increase to three goals thanks to Janosi again, after the first ten minutes of the second half.
It was difficult for Anaitasuna to react, adding his lack of efficiency to that of Angel Ximénez to leave the advantage at three goals. Finally, the balance tipped a little more for the visitors thanks to Rubén Ledi’s goal (19-23, minutes 48). For the first time, a four-goal advantage for the Pontanos. The match seemed controlled by Paco Bustos’ boys, but they did not know how to close the match and gave wings to Anaitasuna who woke up and put the Córdoba team on the ropes.
The Navarrese team pushed so hard that they managed to equalize eight minutes from time. (23-23, minutes 52). Thanks to the good performance of Angel Ximénez’s goalkeeper, Ben Tekaya, and the efficiency of Mosquera, they managed to maintain the advantage, but only by one goal. From +1 to +2, a more than open match. And there are only five minutes left. New exchange of blows from which no one emerged victorious. Ángel Ximénez was destined for another breathtaking end to the match.
At 25-25, the last round began. It was Anaitasuna who struck first after a good resistance exercise from both teams. A bad pass from Simonet gives the ball to the Navarrese team who I had 30 seconds to condemn the match although the time-out horn sounded, with a visibly angry Paco Bustos. This is how Samuel Pereiro sealed the match and gave victory to the locals, who came back to score in the second half (27-25).
