Closer than the odds suggested
Caserio-Ciudad-Real and Granollers met in the ASOBAL League on Friday evening, and the result was as tight as you'd expect from two sides separated by just one point in the table. The home side edged through 34:33, which meant the prediction of an away victory — 57 per cent confidence — went unfulfilled. And here's the thing about those sort of numbers: they don't always tell you what's going to happen on the floor.
Granollers arrived in seventh place, three wins from three, six points clear of anyone else in their half of the division. Caserio-Ciudad-Real had one loss to show for their three games, sitting seventh with five points. To be fair, the gap between them isn't enormous, but form guides you one way and the result went the other.
What you'd have expected from the visitors was a comfortable passage, but the hosts had nothing to lose and played accordingly. The score suggests a game that stayed within reach of both sides until the final exchanges. By then, Granollers had seen it out in their mind, but the home defence held firm when it mattered.
The result keeps Granollers top of the standings with six points from three matches, while Caserio-Ciudad-Real move up to fifth on five points. It ends what had been a clean run for the visitors, who'd won their last five competitive fixtures across all competitions. They'll want to regroup quickly.
For the home side, this is the sort of result that builds momentum. They'd lost to Granollers in May and drawn with Villarreal earlier this season, so there's history between them that adds an edge. One point separates them from the leaders now, and they've shown they can compete when the pressure is on.
