Sensational Victory Takes Aalborg Close to the Semi-finals

Aalborg DH probably caused the greatest surprise of the first leg of the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals. The current number three in Denmark have beaten the Austrian champion Hypo Niederösterreich 34-24 in front of 4412 enthusiastic spectators in the Gigantium Arena of Aalborg.

Aalborg managed to get two of their three injured players – Matilda Boson and Johanna Wiberg – fit for the match. Still everyone considered Hypo Niederösterreich to have more chances – not only for the aggregate win, but also for an away success.

Shocking start by Aalborg

The Aalborg players had other plans and they practically decided the match with a shocking start.

It was quickly 5-1 and they took an astonishing 12-2 lead. The ten goals remained for the rest of the match.

That the game turned out in this sensational manner was partly due to an extremely weak performance by Hypo Niederösterreich, but also to a fantastic effort from all Aalborg players. Their defence was strong throughout the match, while Katrine Lunde also made and outstanding performance. The Norwegian national keeper made 21 saves, three of them on penalty shots.

“She is from a different planet,” as Aalborg coach, Jan Leslie, put it after the match.

Only five players were scoring for Aalborg, but that was enough. Natalia Deriouguina, Louise Mortensen, Matilda Boson, former Hypo player Tatjana Logvin, and Ibolya Mehlmann all did a superb job in attack. If Hypo goalkeeper, Olga Sanko, would not have been one of her team’s best players with 19 saves, things would have turned out even worse for the visitors.

No doubt about the result

After Aalborg’s breathtaking start, there was no doubt about the result of the match. The only question was the advantage the Danes would take with themselves to the second leg on Friday evening.

After the 12-2 lead, Aalborg were eight or nine goals up for the rest of the first half, before Hypo Niederösterreich managed to reduce the gap towards the break. It was 18-11 at halftime.

After the break Hypo Niederösterreich came as close as 18-12. Aalborg strengthened once again and soon they were leading by eleven at 23-12. It was already 12 goals at 28-16, and 34-22, when Hypo were allowed to score the last two goals of the match.