Barça win 11th Champions League title after thrilling final

While the 2021 final between Barça and Aalborg — which saw the Blaugranas easily win the trophy (36:23) — was played with only a handful of fans in the stands due to Covid-19, LANXESS arena was packed for the rematch between the two sides in 2024.

The first 10 minutes of the final, during which Barça had the upper hand and took a three-goal advantage, was definitely not representative of how the confrontation unfolded. Thanks to the experience of Mikkel Hansen and Niklas Landin, Aalborg bounced back and even took the lead before the break.

After a very tight second half, everything came down to the last 10 minutes. Carlos Ortega put Emil Nielsen on the court for Barça, after he was replaced by Gonzalo Perez de Vargas late in the first half, and the Spanish side once again earned a three-goal advantage. But Aalborg came back again and offered themselves a chance to draw at the last second, before Mikkel Hansen’s last shot — a free throw over the full Barça line-up — hit the crossbar.

FINAL
Aalborg Handbold (DEN) vs Barça (ESP) 31:30 (15:15)

• the start of the game proved that Barça’s defensive performance in the semi-final was not a one-off, as the Spanish side only conceded two goals in the first seven minute to take an early lead, 5:2
• thanks to a couple of brilliant saves from Niklas Landin and two goals from Thomas Arnoldsen, Aalborg quickly reacted and made the score even five minutes later, 8:8
• no team was able to take the upper hand before the break, although Aalborg briefly grabbed the lead off a goal from Mads Hoxer, before Melvyn Richardson — who was named MVP of the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2024 — scored the equaliser on a penalty throw
• as Hoxer, Richardson and Dika Mem indulged in a scoring contest for left handers, no team was able to take the upper hand during most of the second half
• coming back on the court 10 minutes before the end of the game, Nielsen was decisive for Barça, with two crucial saves that allowed his team to take a three-goal advantage with four minutes to play, 30:27
• although the Danish side came back on the scoreboard and created the chance to level the game, Hansen’s last shot hit the crossbar
• Barça clinched the EHF Champions League trophy for the 11th time, extending their record on top of the all-time winners’ list

Mikkel Hansen’s dream vanishes on the crossbar

The iconic Danish left back might not have played his best season, nor his most prolific, but this weekend in Cologne, he proved he is still a legend of the game. Scoring eight and delivering a couple of key assists, he held his team throughout the final. And when he was offered a chance to throw the game into overtime on a post-buzzer attempt, he put everything he had left into his shot. But the ball hit the crossbar and Hansen’s last chance to win the EHF Champions League vanished as Barça celebrated.