Nantes went into the game missing three centre backs but they still managed to take control of the game straight from the start as they were not fooled by their opponents’ seven-against-six offence.
With Julien Bos at his best and Ignacio Biosca making some crucial saves, the French side took a four-goal lead after 17 minutes (11-7).
Aleks Vlah was in insping form for the visitors but despite his goals and assists, Aalborg were never able to close the gap before the break.
And with Ayoub Abdi scoring one last lucky goal just before half-time, Nantes maintained their momentum as they led 18-14 at the interval with the Champions League quarter-finals firmly in sight.
However, things immediately deteriorated for the French team right after the restart when Nicolas Tournat received a direct red card by the referees.
Without their main offensive dangerman, Nantes struggled to pose the same challenge for the Danish defense, and Aalborg began to close the gap on the scoreboard.
Thanks to the power of Marinus Munk and a couple of saves from Fabian Norsten, the visitors gradually completed their comeback when they equalised 15 minutes before the final whistle (24-24) to set up a tense end to the game.
In a dramatic finish, both teams had their chances to take the three points. Ivan Pesic made two crucial saves in the dying seconds, but it wasn't enough for the home side to regain the upper hand.
And when Thibaud Briet’s final attempt failed to reach the goal, the Danes were left to celebrate their qualification for the quarter-finals.