Aalborg Håndbold defeated FC Barcelona 36–35 in dramatic fashion in the Men’s Champions League. GoHandball have named the three stars of the game.
Three stars: Niklas Landin
Wow! What a performance by Landin. 14 saves and clearly better than Barcelona’s super duo Emil Nielsen and Gonzalo Perez de Vargas. As so many times before, the Dane was also the best when it mattered, first with a penalty save against Melvyn Richardson with a few minutes left, and then another penalty save against the same player in the final second of the match, a save that gave Aalborg two incredibly important points in the Champions League standings.
Two stars: Thomas Arnoldsen
Until the final second of the game, Thomas Arnoldsen was my choice for three stars in this game. The left back/centre back did it all for his team and is clearly the focal point in their offense. Nine goals and a lot of assists as well for a player who continues to develop on his way to the top of world handball.
One star: Dika Mem
He was about to turn the match in Barcelona’s favor after a fantastic performance. The captain carried Barcelona’s attack on his shoulders, and without him, it would never have even been close in the second half. Barca went from a nearly hopeless situation at the end of the first half to making a match out of it all the way to the finish. He truly deserves more than one star, but Aalborg’s surprising point in this match means that the French right back, despite scoring nine goals, will have to settle for just one star.