A nervous Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto lose in the semi-finals against the hosts

Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto lost 30–21 to Naturhouse La Rioja, who were superior on paper and on court, backed throughout by their supporters. The red-and-whites did not produce their best performance, but achieved the feat of reaching the Final Four, a historic occasion enjoyed by more than 200 supporters who travelled to Logroño. The start of the match was not what the red-and-whites had hoped for. The hosts went for the match from the first minute, opening up a 2–0 lead by taking advantage of the Valencians' hesitant play. After ten minutes, Fertiberia were 6–2 down on the scoreboard; they could not penetrate Naturhouse's aggressive defence and their chances of winning the match diminished. The hosts were superior in every aspect of the game, thanks to Gurutz's saves in goal and Cuartero's goals from the wing. Once the first half reached its midpoint, the situation did not change: the Riojan side's tough, deep defence prevented the Valencians from building continuity in attack, and they were unable to score. Vicent Nogués therefore called a timeout to withstand the home side's attacks, as they moved six goals clear at 12–6. Eventually, the red-and-whites managed to reduce the deficit to five goals, 18–13, thanks to Chernov's supported shots, which unlocked the attack, before heading to the dressing room to catch their breath and stem the flow of goals conceded. The second half began as the first had ended. Jota's men gave the red-and-whites no chance of a comeback, supported by an intense defence that helped Gurutz and gave Iker Serrano no opportunities. From the 15th minute onwards, Fertiberia showed signs of a reaction and moved to within three goals, which further encouraged the supporters who had travelled to Logroño. However, Vicent Nogués's players could do nothing to complete a historic comeback, and he took the opportunity to give the less frequently used players the final minutes as a reward. With ten minutes remaining, the Riojan side decided to step up and make their home advantage count against a Fertiberia side blocked in attack, extending their lead to 27–20. In the final minutes, the Riojan side closed out the match thanks to good defensive work that withstood the opponents' attacks, securing a place in the final against BM Atlético de Madrid at the expense of a lacklustre Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto, 30–23. Ultimately, Fertiberia could do nothing to secure a historic victory. With the dream of playing in a Copa del Rey semi-final over, they can now focus only on their next league match, against Cangas Frigoríficos del Morrazo next Saturday 11th at 18:30. It is a fixture marked on the calendar as vital for achieving mathematical survival. Naturhouse La Rioja: Jorge Martínez, Aguinagalde, Petrus (4), Mindegia (2), Víctor Hugo (1), Cuartero (5), Curuvija (4), Silva (1), Capote, Arrieta (3), Velasco, Tioumentsev (2), Miralles (2), Ajo (1), Bozalongo (1), Paván (5) and Tolmos. Fertiberia BM Puerto Sagunto: Bruixola, Pablo, Serrano, Castellà, Rubén Ruiz (2), Moriñigo (1), Tarrasó (3), Milasevic (2), Carles Lluna, Chernov (6), Toni Alegre, Nebot (1), Fernández, Chispi (6), Vallés (1) and Latorre (3). Referees: Javier Pastor Gamón and Alberto Rodríguez Rodríguez. Suspensions for Naturhouse La Rioja: Capote and Silva; for Fertiberia BM Puerto Sagunto: Chernov and Fernández (2). Score at five-minute intervals: 3–1, 8–3, 10–4, 12–6, 15–9, 18–13 Half-time 19–14, 21–17, 23–19, 26–20, 29–21, 31–25. Full-time. Palacio de los Deportes de La Rioja. 3,900 spectators

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.