Match Preview
Aalborg were lucky to grab a draw last week in Portugal and they will need to do a better job containing Francisco Costa. Sporting rarely win on the road, so the odds are against them in Denmark.
Aalborg Counting on Home Strength
Aalborg were more than happy to take a 31-31 draw in Portugal last week against Sporting considering they were five goals behind 23-28 with just seven minutes left on the clock. Thomas Arnoldsen was the standout performer with eight goals.
The Danish side wrapped up the group phase with a strong 38-33 road victory against Veszprem in Hungary, where Arnoldsen converted eight of his eleven attempts to lead the scoring, while Sander Sagosen added six goals.
They finished the previous stage in 2nd place in Group A with ten victories, one draw and three defeats.
Sporting Struggling on the Road
Sporting recovered from a three-goal deficit in the first half against Aalborg last week, heavily relying on Francisco Costa who scored 12 goals to build a five-goal advantage in the second half, but ultimately had to settle for a 31-31 draw.
The Portuguese side justified their favorite status in the Round of 16 first leg at home, beating Wisla Plock 33-29 after a dominant first half (19-12). Francisco Costa was named man of the match with 10 goals, while Martim Costa added nine. A 28-27 defeat in Poland was still enough to advance.
They finished the regular season in 6th place in Group A with a 7-7 record, with just two wins coming away from home.