AtticGo Elche vs MECALIA Atlético Guardés: Semi-final First Leg Review
In the opening leg of the EHF European Cup semi-finals for the 23-24 season, Mecalia faced a tight contest against Atlético Guardés. The match swung on sustained player Exclusions in the second half, which ultimately decided the outcome. The Galician side seized the moment and pressed forward, building momentum under Joaquín Rocamora to seize precious advantage for the return clash.
Morales produced a decisive save while Flores delivered a well-timed pass for an early goal, underscoring Elche’s plan to lean on these two pillars of experience for an edge. The captain’s leadership on both offense and defense anchored Elche’s efforts as the team navigated the European semi-final atmosphere.
From the start, Elche faced a Galician surge as the locals exploited a numerical advantage to score their first goal inside six and a half minutes and again at nine minutes on the court. The visitors responded with a determined push, led by Lima and the extra-motivated Afrika Sempere, who capitalized on Guilabert’s attempt to swing a 5-2 advantage. Miriam Sempere’s interception kept Elche in touch, setting the stage for a tense contest.
AtticGo Elche: Youth, Competitiveness and Empowerment
david marin
Elche’s effort at halftime changed the tone of the encounter. The hosts from Ana Teixeira’s squad forced Guardés to rethink their approach, with Rocamora calling a timeout at 8-11 in the 24th minute as Elche threatened to extend their lead.
As the game wore on, defense intensity began to wane, and Elche’s attack failed to sustain a consistent rhythm. Yet the spirit of the “Franjiverdes” remained evident, aided by solid defensive work and selective offensive moments that kept the scoreboard within reach as the teams headed to the locker room with the score close and opportunities still looming.
Three Exclusions in Six Minutes
The second half stayed tight, with neither side gaining a clear upper hand for long. Rocamora and Teixeira both traded positions at the goal after returning from the break. Rodrigues delivered several key saves, while Sempere returned to guard the visitor’s goal, turning away two close-range attempts from Elena Martínez in quick succession.
Esperanza Lag rallied the home team with encouragement during the most critical moments, helped by Flores, Méndez, Bernabé and Van Zijl who produced a handful of quality moves that briefly put Elche ahead. Despite these flashes, the match carried a note of disappointment because of the clustering of exclusions, some of which came late and with defensive pressure mounting on both sides. Guardés capitalized on Elche’s momentum shortfalls to set the stage for a decisive second leg the following Saturday.
match sheet
ATTICGO CBM ELCHE: Morales (s), Rodrigues (ps); Zhukova (1), Van Zijl (3), Oppedal, Guilabert (1), Méndez (3), Andreu, Gascó (2), Flores (3), Benítez (2), Martínez (2), Wolves (1), Bernabé (3), Do Nascimento (1) and More.
MECALIA ATLÉTICO GUARDÉS: M. Sempere (p), Carratu (ps); A. Sempere (2), Santiago (5), Menéndez (1), Silva, Fernández, Cifuentes (3), Lima (9), Descalzo, López, Amores (2), Gómez, Sancha, Nuez and Moreno (1).
SCORE EVERY 5′: 2-0, 4-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9-11, 12-12 (rest); 13-13, 15-15, 16-16, 19-18, 20-20 and 22-23.
REFEREES: Barbora Bocakova and Lucia Janosikova.
PAVILION: Esperanza Lag.