Exciting semi-finals ahead at TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4

But before Barça and Kiel battle it out, the first semi-final, between EHF Champions League titleholders SC Magdeburg, and EHF FINAL4 2021 finalists Aalborg Håndbold, promises to be as exciting. Magdeburg have the opportunity to become the second team – after Barça – to win the trophy in Cologne back-to-back. Aalborg, on the other hand, are the only team among the four present this weekend to have never won the trophy.

SEMI-FINALS

SC Magdeburg (GER) vs Aalborg Håndbold (DEN)
Saturday 8 June, 15:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• SC Magdeburg finished first in group B at the end of the group phase, with 24 points, while Aalborg finished second in group A, with 19 points
• in the quarter-finals, Magdeburg eliminated Industria Kielce (53:52 on aggregate) while Aalborg beat Telekom Veszprém HC (64:60 on aggregate)
• Magdeburg have won the EHF Champions League twice in history, in 2002 and 2023, while Aalborg’s best result is the EHF FINAL4 final in 2021, when they were defeated 23:36 by Barça
• both teams officially won their domestic leagues last weekend, while Magdeburg also lifted the German Cup and the IHF Super Globe trophies earlier in the season
• the two clubs have never faced each other in the EHF Champions League. Their only European confrontation dates back to 2016 in the EHF Cup, when both clubs won their home game in the group phase
• this game will be the second-last for Mikkel Hansen in the EHF Champions League in his last opportunity to win the trophy

Barça (ESP) vs THW Kiel (GER)
Saturday 8 June, 18:00 CEST, live on EHFTV

• Barça finished second in group B in the group phase, with 22 points, while Kiel emerged top of group A, with 22 points
• both teams defeated French opponents in the quarter-finals: Barça beat Paris (62:53 on aggregate) and Kiel turned around a tough first leg defeat against Montpellier (61:60 on aggregate)
• with 10 trophies, Barça are currently the most-crowned club in the EHF Champions League while THW Kiel are second, with four wins
• Barça are the only team to have retained their title at the EHF FINAL4, in 2021 and 2022
• Barça’s Dika Mem is the best scorer out of the four teams present in Cologne, with 96 goals – still 16 goals behind PSG’s Kamil Syprzak, the competition’s current top scorer
• Barça and Kiel faced each other 25 times in EHF Champions League history: Barça won 13 times, Kiel nine times and three games ended in a draw

Photos © Jure Erzen / kolektiff; #patriciasports