“They are a very dangerous team — a team that can score a lot of goals and plays really fast. They also have nice depth on the bench, with a lot of different options. But I am confident. I know we have prepared well for that game. Everybody is really motivated to win the Champions League again.”
The Danish champions lost 13 times against Barcelona in the Champions League in the period 2014-2024, but it is the Spanish giants who are looking for revenge before the semi-final in the prestigious tournament.
In the 14th and most recent match between the two sides in February 2025, Aalborg finally managed to taste the sweetness of victory with a narrow 36-35 win at home when former Danish international goalkeeper Niklas Landin saved a free throw from Melvyn Richardson after match time had expired.
This year, Barca have qualified for the Final Four for the eighth successive time, and after last season's disappointment where they suffered a defeat in both the semi-final against SC Magdeburg and the bronze medal match against HBC Nantes, the club is keen to reclaim the throne.
And so far, there have been no slip-ups, as Barca comfortably won their group with 13 wins and one defeat (21-22 at home against SC Magdeburg, who were then defeated 36-29 away), before eliminating Nantes in the quarter-finals with a combined 12 goals.
Despite having plenty of respect for the Danes, Ortega also heads into the semi-final with plenty of confidence. “We had a great season. We only lost one game, against Magdeburg, so it feels kind of logical to be here. But we worked a lot. There were a lot of changes last summer, and we needed to build some more combinations among us to make things work. I am really happy that we were able to qualify, but of course, we are aiming for more.”
Aalborg and FC Barcelona will face each other at 18.00 CET in the Lanxess Arena.