Seven-time Champions League winners Borussia Düsseldorf confirmed their place in the HYLO ETTU Champions League Final 4 after securing the two points they needed in the second leg of the quarterfinal against Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. Having already built a commanding 3-0 advantage in the opening leg, today’s 2-0 success sealed an emphatic overall triumph.
The No. 2 seeds, who have also lifted the European Club Cup of Champions six times, once again demonstrated their depth and experience. European champion from Munich 2022 Dang QIU (No. 7 in Europe), Anton KALLBERG (No. 9 in Europe) and Kanak JHA (No. 31 in the world) formed a powerful lineup against the No. 10 seeded Mühlhausen, led by Ovidiu IONESCU (No. 31 in Europe).
Düsseldorf opened the return leg in confident style as Anton KALLBERG controlled his duel with Nico MULLER in straight games. With qualification within reach, the spotlight then turned to Kanak JHA, who secured the decisive point after a demanding contest against IONESCU.
“My match against Ovi was tough. He is a very aggressive player and in the first game I struggled to adapt to his rhythm. As the match went on I improved step by step. To finish the tie with such clear results – 3-0 in the first leg and 2-0 here – makes this a fantastic quarterfinal for us. Now we are excited and looking forward to a tough semifinal challenge against Montpellier.
Borussia head coach Danny HEISTER admitted that despite the final scoreline, the tie demanded full focus.
“In the end it looked like an easy game, but before the match we knew it wouldn’t necessarily be so simple. With the format meaning the tie could already be decided in the fourth match, there was little margin for mistakes. When Müller is in the lineup you normally expect to win, but it can still be tricky. After the first set, however, I felt Kanak had the situation under control. I’m really happy that we qualified for the final. We had already done a fantastic job in the first leg, winning 3-0 in Mulhouse, so today we came in as heavy favorites. Even so, we stayed focused and did our job, which makes us very satisfied.”
With two clear victories across the tie, Düsseldorf advance to the Final 4 carrying strong momentum and confidence as they prepare for a high-level semifinal clash.
Borussia Düsseldorf (GER) – Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. (GER) 2-0
- Anton KALLBERG – Nico MULLER 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-7)
- Kanak JHA – Ovidiu IONESCU 3-1 (10-12, 11-4, 11-7, 11-7)
Opening leg
Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. (GER) – Borussia Düsseldorf (GER) 0–3
- LIN Gaoyuan – JHA Kanak 2–3 (9–11, 8–11, 11–9, 11–7, 2–6)
- MENGEL Steffen – QIU Dang 2–3 (9–11, 5–11, 11–9, 11–8, 2–6)
- FREITAS Marcos – KALLBERG Anton 0–3 (11–13, 7–11, 13–15)
