Aalborg Håndbold secured a 28-23 victory against TTH Holstebro in the first leg of the Danish Championship semi-final, largely thanks to an outstanding performance by goalkeeper Niklas Landin. Aalborg now only needs a draw in the return match on Wednesday to advance to the final.

Landin’s exceptional goalkeeping frustrated TTH Holstebro’s attack throughout the match, giving his teammates the opportunity to build a decisive lead. Despite a subpar performance in the final quarter, Aalborg managed to hold on for the win.

TTH Holstebro struggled to find a way past Landin, particularly in the first half. William Aars carried much of the offensive burden for TTH due to the absence of top scorer Edwin Aspenbäck, who was sidelined with a fractured arm. Aars faced considerable difficulty, shooting six times before finally scoring against Landin. Frustration boiled over for Aars late in the first half, resulting in a double expulsion after an illegal tackle and subsequent complaint.

Landin’s save percentage reached an impressive 66 percent (excluding penalty throws) by halftime, contributing to Aalborg’s dominant 8-0 run that extended their lead from 11-10 to 19-10.

Although Aalborg became careless with their shots and TTH Holstebro’s goalkeeper Sander Heieren improved his save percentage, creating late tension as TTH reduced the deficit to two goals, Aalborg managed to withstand the pressure and secure the victory.