Berlin will know their opponents for the semi-finals on 14 June after the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 draw on Friday 2 May at 14:00 CEST.
QUARTER-FINALS, SECOND LEG
Aalborg Håndbold (DEN) vs. Füchse Berlin (GER) 36:40 (20:21)
Berlin win 77:65 on aggregate
- Berlin’s plan to stand strong from the first minute, rather than relaxing with their eight-goal advantage from the first leg, worked well: a 6:3 start shattered Aalborg’s hopes early on
- the hosts led only twice in the first half — at 20:19 and 21:20 — but the visitors still controlled the match
- as in the first leg, Berlin’s goalkeeper Dejan Milosavljev was a crucial factor with 12 saves, the same number as Aalborg’s duo Niklas Landin and Fabian Norsten combined
- Berlin led by six goals three times in the second half
- after scoring 11 goals in the first leg, Mathias Gidsel again was top Berlin’s top scorer, this time with nine strikes; the same number as Aalborg’s wing Kristian Bjørnsen
- it was Aalborg’s first EHF Champions League defeat at home since 2023, while Berlin consolidated their role as the best attack of the competition with a total of 614 goals in 18 matches
Berlin return to Cologne after a 13-year gap
Thirteen years after their first appearance at the EHF FINAL4, Füchse Berlin are back in Cologne. In 2012, they caused a miracle by turning a 11-goal deficit against Ademar Leon around in the second leg at home. In 2025, they turned a 7:13 deficit in the first leg against Aalborg into a 37:29 victory — the basis for the ticket to the TruckScout 24 EHF FINAL4. Before the reverse fixture in Aalborg, the current leaders of the German Bundesliga remained very humble, yet had the upper hand right from the start.
Right back Fabian Wiede is the last survivor of the team which finished fourth in Cologne in 2012, although three current players have already won the EHF Champions League trophy: Mijajlo Marsenic (2017) and Dejan Milosavljev (2019) with HC Vardar, and Manuel Strlek with Kielce in 2016. The two-time IHF World Player of the Year Mathias Gidsel will have his first ever appearance at the EHF FINAL4.
On the other hand, Henrik Møllgaard’s dream of reaching Cologne for the sixth time after three participations with Paris Saint-Germain and two with Aalborg did not come true. The home defeat against Berlin was the last international match for the 40-year-old defence specialist, who will become Stefan Madsen’s assistant coach in Paris.
It was a difficult game. They had an answer for everything and we had difficulties stopping them from scoring. From there it’s very difficult to close the gap and create the miracle. We have to accept, that over these two games Füchse were the better team, so congratulations to them and good luck to them in Cologne. We will be aiming to come back stronger next year.
We are really happy that our gameplan held strong. We wanted to win this game, not just defend our lead. What my team did today gets my biggest respect. We had the game under control for 60 minutes and we had an answer for everything that Aalborg tried.
