Match Preview
These two sides locked horns twice this season in the group phase, with Sporting winning at home 35-33, while Aalborg responded in front of their crowd 35-30. Which team will gain the advantage in quarterfinal Game 1?
Sporting Playing at Home
Sporting are competing in the Champions League playoffs for the second year in a row, finishing the regular season as the 6th placed team in Group A with a 7-7 record, with the majority of their wins coming at home (5-2).
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.
They were under pressure in the first half of the reverse leg (11-13), but ultimately suffered a narrow 28-27 defeat which was enough to see them through on aggregate. Francisco Costa once again stood out with eight goals.
Aalborg Hoping to End Their Winless Run
Aalborg had a disappointing run in last season’s Champions League, failing to reach the Final Four, but things look very different this time as they finished the regular campaign in 2nd place in Group A with ten wins, one draw and three defeats.
They had a brief dip in late February and early March, suffering back-to-back losses to Sporting 35-33 in Portugal and to Fuchse Berlin 35-31 at home.
The Danish side wrapped up the group phase with a strong 38-33 road victory against Veszprem in Hungary, where Thomas Arnoldsen converted eight of his eleven attempts to lead the scoring, while Sander Sagosen added six goals.