EPlus CN Catalunya are celebrating in Barcelona after dominating the second leg of the women’s Euro Cup final against Zodiac CNAB on Wednesday night. Javier Belmonte’s side finished the job they started a week ago in emphatic fashion, with a 7-0 surge after going two goals down proving more than enough to seal the club’s first-ever European title.
2025/26 Euro Cup Women
Final, Leg 2
Wednesday 3 June
Zodiac CNAB (ESP) 11-13 EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP)
(2-5, 2-4, 3-3, 4-1) (Agg: 20-27)
Despite trailing by five goals from the first leg, the home fans packed inside CNAB’s arena were full of optimism and hope at the start of the return fixture, with the hooters and drums at maximum volume.
The noise levels only got louder as the hosts got off to the perfect start, earning a penalty inside 30 seconds and Alejandra Aznar made no mistake to put CNAB 1-0 ahead, firing the ball over Laura Aarts’ head and under the crossbar.
With their first six-on-five, CNAB’s Clara Diaz rifled in a pinpoint shot to cut the overall deficit to three, but Catalunya remained calm and there was no sign of panic.
Great Britain star Toula Falvey opened the visitors’ account from the centre with a powerful backhander, and she was soon in the right place again, levelling the score with a neat tap-in at the far post after a high ball from the left wing on woman-up.
CNAB had two goals disallowed for turnover fouls, and the frame of the goal – as well as Aarts – also denied them, while Catalunya kept on scoring at the other end.
Julia Frigola Navarro hammered in a 6m blast to put the visitors in front for the first time, and further strikes from Lucia Gomez and Emmerson Houghton put CNAB in real trouble as they trailed 2-5 at the first break, and by eight on aggregate.
Things only got worse for Chus Martin’s team, who were hoping to win a European title at the first time of asking, as Catalunya hit two more unanswered goals at the start of the second period, moving them 10 clear overall and putting them in full control of the final.
At the turnaround, the gap remained at five on the night (4-9), with Falvey scoring the last goal of the half for Catalunya and completing her hat-trick in style with another stunning backhander from the centre.
CNAB kept battling in the third, but they were unable to cut the deficit, as the Catalunya defence – and Aarts – continued to hold firm, and two fine goals from Ruth Arino even extended Catalunya’s lead to six (5-11) midway through the quarter as her team closed in on the title.
Heading into the last eight minutes and leading by 10 on aggregate (7-12 on the night), Catalunya could start to think about lifting the famous trophy and although CNAB won the last quarter 4-1 to make the final score 11-13, the destination of the trophy was never in doubt.
Dutch European champion Aarts also capped another fine individual display with a spectacular one-on-one save to deny CNAB captain Nerea Martin midway through the last period, and later rose majestically to expertly block Elena Flynn’s penalty.
It was a second magnificent performance from Catalunya, whose players and fans will remember this historic victory for years to come.
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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics
