Champions League Barcelona triumphs in the premier handball class
Petar Cikusa Jelicic and FC Barcelona celebrate the title in the Champions League. Photo
© Marius Becker/dpa
In the final of the Final Four tournament, the Spanish top team narrowly beat Aalborg. THW Kiel won the small final.
Superstar Mikkel Hansen was unable to fulfil his dream of winning the Champions League for the first time at the end of his successful career. The Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion lost the high-class and dramatic final match of the final tournament in Cologne with Aalborg HB against record winners FC Barcelona by 30:31 (15:15).
Hansen, who scored eight goals, is leaving the club without the most important title. For Barcelona, it is already the eleventh victory in the premier class. THW Kiel had previously secured third place with a 32:28 victory against the dethroned defending champions SC Magdeburg.
Aalborg again with strong defense
In the final in front of 20,000 fans, the Spanish serial champions got off to a better start and were quickly three goals ahead. But the Danes, who had narrowly beaten SCM in the semi-final, managed to equalize at 8:8 in the middle of the first half and remained an equal opponent thereafter.
Just like the German champions and cup winners the day before, the favored Catalans also had a hard time against the strong defense of the Danish champions. In addition, Barça goalkeeper Emil Nielsen was not a factor this time, unlike in the brilliant 30:18 win against Kiel in the semi-final the day before.
It was only in the final phase that the pendulum swung in favor of the Spanish top team thanks to their greater routine and cleverness. The best scorer for the winners was France’s European champion Melvyn Richardson with eight goals.
dpa
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