In the penultimate round of the Asobal League, the top clubs barely avoided upsets as lower-table teams pushed them to the limit. Horneo Eón Alicante secured their survival, while Villa de Aranda edged closer to safety.
The match between Granollers and Cuenca was a tense affair, with the visitors nearly snatching a point. However, the established order held firm across most fixtures, though several underdogs came close to causing major surprises.
Bidasoa Irún earned a hard-fought 25-26 victory at O Gatañal against Frigoríficos del Morrazo, keeping their hopes alive for second place. The hosts mounted a strong defensive effort and even had a final possession to equalize. Bidasoa built comfortable leads of 15-20 and 17-21, but young goalkeeper Mateo Pallas, who replaced the struggling Ivan Panjan, energized Frigoríficos. With 17 seconds remaining and the Galician side holding the ball, their coach opted not to play without a goalkeeper, and Pereiro hesitated, failing to even attempt a shot.
Cangas – Bidasoa match action
Recoletas Atlético Valladolid scraped a 25-23 win over Cajasol Ángel Ximénez Puente Genil in a grueling contest. The visitors were kept alive by their two goalkeepers but eventually collapsed under home pressure. Trailing early, they suffered a seven-minute scoring drought. After Toni Malla called a timeout, they netted three times to tie at 8-8, forcing Valladolid’s coach Pisonero to halt the game due to mutual errors and more severe local inefficiency. The second half mirrored the first: Valladolid tightened defensively, with César Pérez making crucial saves, while Puente Genil’s defense also raised its level, led by Dorado, pulling within 21-20. Late crowd support helped the home side seal the win.
Valladolid – Puente Genil clash
Tubos Aranda Villa de Aranda almost guaranteed their survival after a 32-26 victory over already-safe Caserío Ciudad Real, their fourth consecutive home win at Santiago Manguán. The first half remained balanced, but the second half began with Villa de Aranda dominating, building a 22-16 lead. Although the visitors trimmed the gap to 23-22, the locals reasserted control.
Dicorpebal Logroño held onto second place with a tense 28-25 win over bottom-side Viveros Herol Nava. The visitors pushed Logroño to the brink for 45 minutes. Logroño started ahead but stalled at 8 goals for a prolonged stretch, trailing 9-16 at halftime. In the second half, goalkeeper Ledo emerged as the savior, proving why he is among Asobal’s best, inspiring his teammates to complete the comeback.
Bathco BM Torrelavega dominated Bada Huesca 33-28, despite the visitors’ strong start. Torrelavega’s relentless pace overwhelmed Huesca, who remain in the relegation battle while Torrelavega pushes for European qualification. The first half saw no team break clear.
