Atlético Valladolid survive Nava thriller with last-second winner to claim 36-35

BM Atlético Valladolid edged BM Nava 36-35 in a relentless Matchday 30 contest that was not decided until the final second, with the home side converting the decisive goal in minute 60 to deny their opponents a point they had fought hard to deserve.

Valladolid set the tone immediately, rattling off a 5-0 run between minutes 2 and 6 to open a commanding early lead. That burst provided a foundation, but Nava refused to retreat: the match produced six equalisations and the lead never stretched beyond five goals all evening, making the scoreline a largely accurate picture of two evenly matched sides. A two-minute suspension against Nava around minute 20 gave Valladolid room to breathe, and they made full use of it — converting a 3-1 partial during that numerical advantage. Even so, Nava had levelled again by half-time, leaving it 17-17 at the break.

In a game of this tightness, individual quality proved decisive. Joao Bandeira Lourenço led all scorers with eight goals from 11 shots for Nava, while Guilherme de Carvalho Cabral (7/9) and Tao Gey-Emparan (7/7, a flawless return) paced Valladolid's attack. Stjepan Jozinovic added five more. In goal, Nicolás Giraldez Freiria stood out with 12 saves from 38 shots — a 31.6 per cent rate that ultimately proved the difference over Nava's Mateus Cristian Nascimento Martins (6 saves, 20 per cent).

The result lifts Valladolid to sixth on 33 points, reinforcing their position in the upper half of the table. Nava remain eleventh on 23 points and continue to fight to improve their standing in the final stretch of the season.