History in the making for title-holders or debutants

Magdeburg have the recipe to beat Barça

This might have gone a little bit under the radar, but only one team managed to beat Barça this season. Barlinek Industria Kielce? THW Kiel? A Spanish side during last summer’s preparation?

Think again! Only SC Magdeburg managed to overturn the Blaugranas since the start of the season. In October last year, the German team beat Barça in the IHF Super Globe final after extra time (41:39).

And it was not the first time that Magdeburg beat the Champions League champions at this stage of the competition, as the 2021 Super Globe final went the same way (33:28). Of the three defeats Barça had in the last two seasons, two were inflicted by Magdeburg.

SCM have nothing to lose

SC Magdeburg made their comeback in the EHF Champions League this season after 17 years’ absence. After winning the EHF European League in 2021 and making it to the final of the same competition in 2022, Magdeburg were clearly among the best sides in Europe. But qualifying for the EHF FINAL4? Few would have bet on this.

However, Magdeburg delivered an incredible season, with notable victories including beating Paris Saint-Germain in Paris and overturning Telekom Veszprém by seven goals in round 12. In the quarter-finals, they proved the stronger in a tense second leg against Orlen Wisla Plock.

So here SCM are for the first time in their history. It is often said that the underdogs are the favourite in Cologne. Could that be true again?

Kay Smits could be the semi-final’s X-factor

When Ómar Ingi Magnusson, Magnus Saugstrup and, a little bit later, Gisli Kristjansson all suffered crucial injuries in the second part of the season, a few eyebrows were raised regarding the capacity for SCM to progress in the Champions League. And that is exactly when Kay Smits stepped forward. The Dutch right back delivered masterclasses in the second part of the season, including a 14-goal game against Plock in the quarter-finals.

Smits might be leaving for Flensburg next summer but before saying goodbye to a club that has been his home since 2021, he seems to be on a mission.

Barça know their way to the top

This is something that all Barça players will agree on: this club has such a winning tradition that they have become almost impossible to beat. From the friendly pre-season game to the EHF Champions League final, the Blaugrana way is to come off court with a victory.

You could see it this season again when Barça fought for the win in Kiel when they had almost nothing left to lose. Or how they battled in Kielce, refusing to give up even when they were in a bad situation. The winning culture has definitely pushed Barça even further in important games. And this weekend’s EHF FINAL4 definitely features important games.

Perez de Vargas/Nielsen: the best goalkeeping pair in the world?

There are debates about handball that could keep you up all night long. Finding the names of the two best goalkeepers in the Champions League is one of them, but it seems like Barça are close to having the best goalkeeping duo in the world right now. While Gonzalo Perez de Vargas has been a Blaugrana stalwart for years, Emil Nielsen stepped up almost immediately on joining the club in September.

The Danish goalkeeper has delivered stunning performances this season, against Kiel and Kielce in the group phase especially. While he was already amazing for HBC Nantes, it seems like Nielsen has made even more progress in Catalonia thanks to Tomas Svensson, who coaches him every day. If Barça win again, you can bet Gonzalo and Emil will have played a big part in it.

Barça are here to write even more history

Before last season, no team had ever been able to retain their title at the EHF FINAL4. Vardar Skopje, Kielce, Kiel: all had tried but all failed. But Barça broke the spell last June, managing to win two Champions League titles back to back, and writing history in the meantime.

No team in the history of the competition has been able to win the Champions League three times in a row – except for Barça, from 1996 to 2000. They now have the opportunity to come closer to their glorious predecessors by winning a third straight title this weekend. And this success would carve Barça’s name even deeper in the Champions League history record.

Photos © Victor Salgado, Eroll Popova, Laurene Valroff, Sascha Klahn