Ahead of the score for 48 minutes and after having counted up to five goals in advance, PSG cracked at the end of the match against Aalborg, who will play his first Champions League final (33-35).
PSG will still have to wait to make their dream come true. As in 2016, 2018 and 2020, the capital club stalled at the gates of the Champions League final. The fault of an Aalborg team who never gave up despite having spent a large part of the match behind the Parisians. The start of this first semi-final, played in a Lanxess Arena in Cologne with a very small number of spectators, saw the defenses take precedence over the attacks but it is indeed the players of Raul Gonzalez Gutierrez who widened the gap in the score. Thanks to two seven-meter throws from Mikkel Hansen (6 goals on 6 shots) and an achievement by Dylan Nahi (2 goals on 4 shots), the Parisians took a three-goal lead after nine minutes. Yann Genty, who started with the goal of PSG in the first period, increased the number of interventions (3 saves at 14% efficiency) but had to bow to Felix Claar (8 goals on 9 shots) who unlocked the counter of ‘Aalborg. PSG, more efficient in attack, scored four goals in advance with a quarter of an hour to play in the first period. The two teams then surrendered blow for blow and Aalborg, thanks to Rene Antonsen (5 goals on 5 shots) came back to two lengths at the break.
Aalborg was able to raise his voice against PSG
As soon as they returned to the floor, the Parisians put a new boost with Nedim Remili (7 goals on 10 shots) who gave his team five steps ahead thanks to three consecutive goals. But the turning point of this semi-final undoubtedly took place just over 20 minutes from the final whistle. While Nikolaj Christensen (5 goals on 7 shots) missed the boat, Dylan Nahi then Ferran Solé Sala (4 goals on 6 shots) both missed the ball which would have given PSG six goals. If Luc Steins (4 goals on 6 shots) kept his team afloat, Aalborg then found the resources to find loopholes in the defense of the French champions to score three consecutive goals and come back to two lengths. Elohim Prandi (3 goals on 6 shots) then Nedim Remili in check against Simon Gade (8 saves at 29% efficiency), the Danes took the opportunity to equalize and then go ahead for the first time in the match at the edge of the last ten minutes. From then on, the two teams did not stop responding to each other but a badly received pass by Dylan Nahi five minutes from the end of the match changed the situation. Nikolaj Christensen did not pass up the opportunity to give Aalborg two goals, an advantage that held until the final whistle. For its first Final Four, the Danish club won (33-35) and qualified for the final of the Champions League against Nantes or FC Barcelona.
HANDBALL – CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (M) / FINAL FOUR
June 12 and 13, 2021 in Cologne (Germany)
Semi-finals – Saturday June 12, 2021
PSG Handball – Aalborg : 33-35
18:00: FC Barcelona – Nantes
Small final – Sunday, June 13, 2021
3.15 p.m .: PSG Handball – FC Barcelona or Nantes
Final – Sunday June 13, 2021
18:00: Aalborg – FC Barcelona ou Nantes
