Clutch Landin sends Aalborg to second Champions League final

The first half was very tense, with both teams struggling to find good positions to score. As a result, Magdeburg and Aalborg remained level for the first 30 minutes, with the teams returning to the dressing room on par (11:11).

Only once did one of the sides take an advantage bigger than one goal, and the fans had to wait until the last two minutes of the game to witness it. At the end, Niklas Landin came back onto the court, having exited it earlier. Making three saves in a row, Landin ensured the game fell on his team’s side right when it mattered the most.

Aalborg will face the winners of the second semi-final, Barça versus THW Kiel, in the final on Sunday night (18:00 CEST), while Magdeburg will play the losing team on Sunday afternoon (15:00 CEST).

SEMI-FINAL
SC Magdeburg (GER) vs Aalborg Handbold (DEN) 26:28 (11:11) 

• it was a close opening to the game, in which left handers shone on both sides, as Aalborg’s Mads Hoxer and Magdeburg’s Omar Ingi Magnusson both netted three times
• while the rhythm slowed in the second part of the first half, after being impressively high for 15 minutes, still neither team managed to take even a two-goal advantage before the break
• both teams started the second half as they started the first one, with offence taking the upper hand, as highlighted by strong performances from Magdeburg’s Matthias Musche and Aalborg’s Thomas Arnoldsen
• Aalborg did not profit from a direct red card for Magdeburg’s Christian O’Sullivan’s in the 43rd minute, as the Danish side turned the ball over several times
• after a completely level match, the outcome unfolded in the dying minutes, when Landin saved three shots in a row to finally allow Aalborg to take a two-goal lead in the 59th — the first in the game
• Magnusson was the game’s top scorer with 10, while Hoxer netted eight times for Aalborg

Niklas Landin: Clutch when it matters

Experts expected Landin to be one of the key factors for Aalborg, and for 55 minutes of the semi-final, the Danish goalkeeper’s performance was a disappointing one — to the point where coach Stefan Madsen decided to put Fabian Norsten on the court from minute 15 on. But when Landin came back on, the Danish legend made the difference.

Two saves against Janus Smarason, one against Magnusson, and the Danish side were ahead by two for the first time. And that was enough to book their ticket to the final.