Barcelona vs Ahly. Photo courtesy of IHF.
Ahly, who made history last year with a landmark victory over Barcelona in the third-place playoff — becoming the first non-European team to achieve such a feat — had hoped to replicate that success.
However, they found it difficult to overcome a determined Barcelona side, who dominated for much of the match.
The five-time world champions led 14-8 at halftime, building a commanding six-goal advantage.
Ahly will now face Germany’s SC Magdeburg in the third-place playoff on Thursday, while Barcelona will meet Hungary's Veszprém in the final, later in the day.
Defending champions Veszprém secured their place in the final with a 23-20 win over SC Magdeburg in Wednesday’s semifinal.
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