Ante Grbavac: “We need a perfect day against Barça”

Zagreb and Barça have faced each other 27 times, with the Spanish side winning on 25 occasions. One match ended in a draw, and Zagreb celebrated victory only once — back in 2012 in Barcelona, when the Croatian champions won the away game 30:29.

That record speaks volumes about the challenge for Zagreb. However, goalkeeper Ante Grbavac sees Thursday’s Match of the Week as an opportunity to build up their game.

The 27-year-old, born and raised in Ljubuski, has stepped into the role vacated by his close friend Matej Mandic, who joined title holders SC Magdeburg this summer. Grbavac now carries the responsibility between the posts in Zagreb.

“The role of the first goalkeeper always carries some pressure, but of course, it is also a great honour. It is another motivation for me to keep working, because I know I am on the right path,” Grbavac says.

His handball journey was intertwined with Mandic. It traces back to their shared beginnings at HC Izvidac, where they were just two kids dreaming big. Ljubuski's reputation as a cradle of handball talent, and goalkeepers, is well established.

“Our paths first crossed in the senior team of Izvidac after we won the title in Ljubuski. Then they briefly split as I went to Spain, he went to Zagreb, but fate wanted us to be a tandem again. After two successful seasons he left, and I can only wish him the best. When your teammate moves to such a big club, you have to be happy for him,” Grbavac says.

But now, all eyes are on the MOTW against Barça on Thursday (25 September at 18:45 CEST, live on EHFTV). A tough match that comes after two straight defeats in away games at the start of the season. But Grbavac also knows from experience how it feels to shine against Barça.

In last season's clash in Arena Zagreb, he came off the bench and produced 14 saves at an astonishing 46 per cent efficiency, almost single-handedly dragging his team into contention in a narrow 29:31 defeat.

“I am not a secret weapon against Barcelona,” he says with a smile. “But it is always a bigger motivation to play against such a team. That night, it was simply my day. It was a spectacle in Arena Zagreb, and I hope it can be repeated this time again.”

Barça arrive in Zagreb on the back of a defeat against Magdeburg in a nail-biting thriller. Zagreb, meanwhile, are still trying to establish momentum, having ups and downs in their matches, still trying to find their real game with a somewhat changed squad.

A painful opening-round 25:23 loss to HC Eurofarm Pelister was followed by a 30:27 defeat against Orlen Wisla Plock — though the performance in the latter match showed greater resilience. Zagreb came back from being down by six to trail by just one.

“After Pelister, it was a shock. We expected more. We fought until the very last moment, we had the final attack for a draw but didn't take it. That's sport, it happens. Against Wisla, we showed character. We kept coming back, even had chances to equalise several times,” Grbavac recalls.

“We didn't succeed, but we proved we can compete with the big teams. That gives us motivation, and we are welcoming Barcelona full of it. We want to deliver a good match,” explains Grbavac.

For the Croatian goalkeeper, the respect towards Barça is unconditional. The scale of their talent is well-known, being an all-round team with top-class names in the squad.

“Barcelona have one of the best players in the world at every position. The biggest threat comes from their back line, and of course from [Emil] Nielsen, who is incredibly consistent in goal. Not to name every single player now,” Grbavac says.

“If we want to do something against such a team, we need a perfect day, huge motivation and fans to carry us. It is hard to promise a win, but of course, we have to think positively,”

Alongside the next challenge in line — keeping up with Barça's firepower — Grbavac is also part of a new goalkeeping structure within Zagreb. With Mandic no longer in the club, Haris Suljevic, the player who once replaced both Mandic and Grbavac in Ljubuski, has joined from Balonman Cangas, while youngster Toni Matoševic continues his development to make a trio.

“In Haris [Suljevic] I see shades of my former goalkeeper coach Milan Tolic, who worked with me and Matej [Mandic] in Ljubuski. We think in a similar way, especially in video analysis and match preparation. He is a great guy, a hard worker, and no doubt he will show his worth,” explains Grbavac.

Zagreb obviously aim to advance to the next phase of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League again but find themselves in a tough group with not only Barca, but also Magdeburg, Paris Saint-Germain, OTP Bank - PICK Szeged, Orlen Wisla Plock, Eurofarm Pelister, and GOG.

For Zagreb, dreams are fine, but reality checks are part of the deal, and Grbavac insists belief must come first.

“After the game against Wisla, when we came into the locker room, we looked at each other and said we need to believe more. We have a team that can achieve something, we just need a bit more faith.” The goalkeeper says.

“Wins will come, joy will come. It is a tough start, and it is not realistic to say we will beat Barcelona or PSG after. But what I can promise is that we will give 100 per cent in every game. We will fight, and we won't surrender to anyone in advance.”

photos © 2025 Aleksandar Kotevski / Eurofarm Pelister