They were traveling as EON Alicante faced a tough test in Barcelona this Wednesday, locking horns with Barça Athletic, a direct and formidable rival. The scoreline reflected a tight contest, with only a single point separating the sides, and the overall result told the same story. The venue was Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
Though it was the culé reserve team that struck first, the Alicante squad responded with resolve, turning the early deficit into a lead. As Barça pressed to bridge the gap, EON tightened its defense and held firm. Marco Krimer guarded the goal with calm authority, stopping a series of Barça attempts and keeping the rivals at bay long enough to maintain a small advantage through much of the first period.
EON Alicante travel to Barcelona to face Barça B
Sometimes the match unfurled in a looping rhythm: Barça closed in, EON stretched away, Barça narrowed the distance again, and EON replied with stronger resistance. The Catalans pressed hard, while the Alicante side worked tirelessly to stay ahead, maintaining a 15-18 lead in the first half.
Barça found the net again as the second half began, but Gabi Navarro and Jero Cartagena quickly responded to push back in favor of EON and to reestablish dominance on the court.
Yet Latorre’s squad kept pressuring. Ít produced a pattern where Barça Atlètic moved into the Alicante half with ease, and many of the forays ended in one-on-one situations against the hosts, testing their defense repeatedly.
start again
This forced ÉON to reinforce every line, relying not on improvisation but on teamwork and cohesion. In the 42nd minute, the margin shifted subtly as David Jimenez advanced, only to see his seven-meter attempt miss the target and Barça level the score once more.
Jiménez would later make amends with two goals: first a long-range strike from Marco Krimer, then an audacious shot from the edge of the penalty area that caught the local goalkeeper off guard.
In the 48th minute of the match, Matheus de Novais received a red card, allowing Barça to level the score at 28. A new phase of the game began. Time seemed to slip faster as Jero Cartagena nudged his team in front again, but his seven-meter attempt did not find the target.
last five minutes
Then came Barça’s late surge, pulling ahead with ten minutes remaining as they mounted a comeback to lead 29-28. Oriol Blanco converted a seven-meter opportunity for EON, but Barça quickly swung the momentum and established a two-goal cushion with five minutes left on the clock.
As the match drew to a close, the same narrative resurfaced: defensive blocks grew larger, and Barça found the goal more accessible, ultimately sealing a 34-31 victory and depriving EON of a deserved point from the fight on the court.
With the result, EÓN Horneo Alicante sat in seventh place, two points shy of the playoff zone, keeping the door open for a late push in the schedule.
On Saturday, December 9, the Alicante side will welcome Club Cisne Colegio Los Sauces to the Hermano Felicísimo Ruiz Pavilion of the Maristas School for a 19:30 tip-off. That match would mark the final home appearance of the year 2023.
DATA SHEET
BARÇA ATLÈTIC: Pau Hernández, Roger Giner (2), Joan Blanco (3), Oriol San Felipe, Pau Morer (1), Oriol Zarzuela (3), Djordje Cikusa (4), Filip Saric, Tim Alex (5), Iker Elola (1), Manuel Ortega (1), Miguel Ángel Martín (1), Guido Bayo (2), Alexander Cobmann (3), Ian Barrufet (7).
EON ALICANTE: Marco Krimer, David Jiménez (4), Santiago Camira (7), Martín Doldán (3), Bruno Ugrin (2), Gabriel Navarro (2), Jero Cartagena (1), Oriol Blanco (4), Julen Urruzola, Xabi Barreto (1), Alberto González (1), Dídac Talens (4), Matheus de Novais (2), Guillermo Fischer, Nacho Salgado.
Partial parts: 2-4, 3-7, 5-11, 8-12, 10-14, 14-18. Second part: 16-21, 21-24, 24-27, 28-28, 29-29, 3a-31.
[Citation: Match report data, Barça Atlètic vs EON Alicante, official scoreboard and players listed as per the event summary. Used here for narrative recreation and statistical reference.]