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(Barcelona – THW Kiel 28–33) Barcelona were big favorites in Tuesday’s Champions League final, but had to surrender to a THW Kiel team with Sander Sagosen (25) and Harald Reinkind (28) in the squad .
Sagosen appeared like so many times before in the final minutes. Barcelona tried to put a stamp on the Norwegian, but were still duped and made it 29-25 for Kiel, just a minute after scoring with an excellent long shot. With that, the distance for Barcelona was increased and Kiel controlled until the club’s fourth victory in the Champions League.
When asked what Sagosen had to say about being a Champions League winner, only Sagosen smiled at the camera:
– Can you repeat it? He asked with a smile that clearly showed that he heard what the interviewer said.
– This is absolutely incredible. I don’t care if it’s last season’s playoffs. I am now part of this team, says Sagosen in an interview shown on V Sport 1.
The last game this week is the Champions League final of the 2019/20 season, which was postponed due to the corona pandemic. Sagosen was only ready for Kiel this summer, after playing for Paris Saint-Germain previously.
At a post-game digital press conference, Sagosen was clear about how much she meant to him.
– This is what I’ve dreamed of since I was four years old. This is what we’ve been fighting for since we were kids, he says.
In total, there were seven goals for Sagosen in the final. Only the Swede Niclas Ekberg scored more for Kiel, with his eight goals. The Norwegian and Swede must also share much of the credit for the victory with Danish goalkeeper Niklas Landin, who made some incredible saves in the second half. Landin has now won “everything”: the Olympics, the European Championship, the World Cup, the Champions League, the Bundesliga and the German Cup.
HEALTH: The confetti went to the ceiling when the trophy was lifted in Cologne.
After Monday night’s stressful semifinal, where Kiel moved in after additional innings, Sander Sagosen and Harald Reinkind would play a Champions League final for the first time.
Børge Lund was the only Norwegian player to have won the Champions League for the men who played before. He also won with Kiel, back in 2010 (also against Barcelona).
Kiel led 19-16 at halftime after a faltering first half. Where there were many goals in the first half, there were many fewer in the second half. Instead, it was the goalkeepers who stood out, and especially the Danish Niklas Landin. The Kiel keeper kept up with one super save after another and was absolutely crucial for Kiel to rack up a five goal lead midway through the half.
Sagosen became very central towards the end with two goals as the match ended with about five minutes to go. After that, Kiel never looked back and took the victory.
KIELS HELT: Niklas Landin delivered a fantastic second round. -He is the best goalkeeper in the world, says Sagosen after the game for the Danish. Photo: FRIEDEMANN VOGEL / EPA
Barcelona and Kiel are two true powerhouses of European handball and are the two most winning teams on the men’s side after the tournament was renamed before the 1993/94 season. Barcelona have won eight times since then, while Kiel has won four times.
As two great powers, there have also been regular finals between the two teams. Barcelona won in 2000, while Kiel took victory in 2010. So naturally it was fitting that they also meet in the final in 2020.
Barcelona reached the final as a favorite, after winning both matches between the teams in November, but did not live up to the favorite stamp. Instead, it was Kiel who dominated the majority of the match and won 33-28.
The bronze final was played earlier in the evening and ended with a French victory. PSG won 31-26 over Kent Robin Tønnesen’s Hungarian team, Telekom Veszprém.
