Trailing by seven goals in the second half against Metz, who have won all their matches this season both on home soil and in the Champions League except for one draw, things looked really bleak for Odense Handball in the Champions League semif-final.
But thanks to an impressive comeback, the team fought their way back into the match, and won 31-29 in a dramatic finish in extra time.
Odense is thus the first Danish team since 2010 to qualify for Champions League final.
In the final on Sunday, Odense will face the defending champions from Györ, who beat Team Esbjerg in their semi-final.
Coach Ole Gjekstad had dictated that the Danish defense should be packed tightly around Metz forward Sarah Bouktit, number four on the list of leading goalscorers in the Champions League before the Final 4.
Odense succeeded well, and generally the defense was solid in the fast-paced match.
Three French two-minute dismissals in the first quarter also provided good conditions for Odense's attack, which has been the highest scoring in the entire Champions League.
But the Danes made too many technical errors allowing Metz to always be a goal or two ahead in the first half, and a to a four-minute Danish goal drought before halftime gave Metz a 16-13 halftime lead.
No one knows better than Norwegian veteran goalkeeper Katrine Lunde how to win the Champions League. She has done it seven times before with three different teams. Therefore, it seemed natural that she replaced Althea Reinhardt from the start of the second half.
In attack and defense Metz dominated heavily from the start of the second half and as Odense's goal drought continued for another seven minutes, Metz took a 20-13 lead, and the game seemed virtually decided.
However, a much-needed timeout inserted new life into the Danes, and suddenly it was Metz who could not overcome the Odense defensive wall.
Six successive Danish goals reduced the deficit to 21-22, and with barely ten minutes left, Mie Hojlund restored parity to 23-23.
It remained very close throughout the end of the match, and as the scoreboard read 27-27 after 60 minutes, extra-time was needed.
In extra-time the experienced Katrine Lunde became decisive allowing Odense to pull away against the visibly deflated French team.
Lunde can now win the Champions League on Sunday with the fourth club in her illustrious career.