Rematch of epic 2023 semi; Berlin target first Champions League final

On Saturday, in the first semi-final, Füchse Berlin will try their luck against French side HBC Nantes. Berlin only made it to the EHF FINAL4 once, in 2012, while it will be Nantes’ third participation since 2018. The French side played the final in 2018, but whether their experience can stop Füchse’s momentum remains to be seen.

The second semi-final will be a rematch of the same stage in 2023, when SC Magdeburg defeated Barça on their way to the title. Since then, Barça won the trophy again, as they have done a record 11 times, including recent back-to-back titles, in 2021 and 2022. But judging by this season’s confrontations, the game remains as much of an open matter as any handball fan would hope.

SEMI-FINALS

Füchse Berlin (GER) vs HBC Nantes (FRA)
Saturday 14 June, 15:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• both teams finished third in their respective groups — Berlin in group A with 18 points; Nantes in group B with 17 points
• Berlin defeated Kielce in the play-offs (70:64 on aggregate) and Aalborg in the quarter-finals (77:65 on aggregate) to book their EHF FINAL4 ticket
• Nantes beat Plock in the play-offs (54:52 on aggregate) and Sporting in the quarter-finals (60:57 on aggregate) to make it to Cologne
• Berlin and Nantes have played each other six times in European history, but never in the EHF Champions League — Nantes won three of those games, Berlin two, and one ended in a draw
• Berlin’s Mathias Gidsel is currently the competition’s second top scorer with 126 goals, while Aymeric Minne netted 84 goals for Nantes this season
• Berlin were crowned German champions for the first time ever last weekend, while Nantes finished second in the French league, behind Paris

Barça (ESP) vs SC Magdeburg (GER)
Saturday 14 June, 18:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• both teams started the season in group B; Barça finished first with 22 points, while Magdeburg finished fourth with 13
• to qualify for the EHF FINAL4, Barça beat Szeged in the quarter-finals, 56:54 on aggregate
• Magdeburg won against Dinamo Bucuresti (65:55 on aggregate) in the play-offs before defeating Veszprém in the quarter-finals (54:53 on aggregate)
• when the teams met in the group phase, each won their home confrontation; of the 10 previous clashes between the two sides, Barça won six and Magdeburg four
• Barça and Magdeburg met at a previous EHF FINAL4, in the 2023 semi-final, when SCM won 40:39 on their way to the title
• Barça won the Spanish cup last weekend, after winning the Spanish league earlier, while Magdeburg finished second in the Bundesliga