March 2025

By Gergely CsurkaThe second half of the Quarter Final Stage in the men’s Champions League kicks off this Tuesday and Wednesday, and there is a chance the first Final Four spots will be booked. However, group leaders Ferencvaros and Novi Beograd will face tough challenges in their respective away matches – but a win in Barcelona and in Marseille would land them a ticket to Malta. Group B Tuesday 1st April 2025(CET times shown) Standings: 1. FTC 9, 2. CNAB 6, 3. Savona 3, 4. Oradea 0 20.00 Zodiac CNAB (ESP) v FTC-Telekom Waterpolo (HUN) Previous results:CNAB: 10-18 FTC (away), 17-4 Oradea (home), 14-10 Savona (away)FTC: 18-10 CNAB (home), 17-9 Savona (away), 18-7 Oradea (away)Head-to-head: 3-6 (1d)Day 1: 10-18. 2023-24: 11-13, 8-10 (QFR). 2021-22: 17-7, 12-12. 2020-21: 7-8, 10-11. 2018-19: 8-5, 9-8 (prelims), 7-9 (SF). Spanish giants Barceloneta are ready to unleash a kind of final assault attempt on Fradi’s gigantic unbeaten run, which currently stands at 40 matches this season. If any team has a chance to do that, it is definitely Barceloneta, and especially in their own pool. Last season, Ferencvaros’ only loss came on Day 4 in Piraeus, on 23 April, when Olympiacos managed to bring them down. That 10-8 result is the only defeat Fradi have suffered across the last two seasons. They closed the last one with a 46-1 record, and their count stands at 40-0 so far this season – very much reminiscent of Recco’s heydays, or tennis star Rafa Nadal’s clay-court magical runs at Roland Garros… Still, it’s Day 4 again and arguably this is the toughest challenge the title-holders will face. Indeed, Barceloneta bounced back from that sound beating in Budapest on Day 1 of this stage and the Spaniards are eager to take revenge for that 18-10 humiliation. In contrast, Fradi may have shown some glimpses of fatigue as they had to overcome a few struggles in the domestic league in back-to-back matches versus OSC and Vasas. Though it’s also true their tremendous achievements have been based on their outstanding ability to raise their game whenever needed. For sure, another win would seal their Final Four spot, while Barceloneta need two more wins to return to the big stage. 20.00 RN Savona (ITA) v CSM Oradea (ROU) Previous results:SAV: 17-11 Oradea (away), 9-17 FTC (home), 10-14 CNAB (home)ORA: 11-17 Savona (home), 4-17 CNAB (away), 7-18 FTC (home)Head-to-head: 1-1Day 1: 17-11. 2022-23: 7-10 (qualifications) After the painful home defeat to Barceloneta, this has become a must-win match for Savona to maintain a small chance of reaching the finals. Since they made no mistakes on Day 1 and claimed a 11-17 victory over the Romanians, taking three more points this Tuesday is again likely. However, even if the Italians do win, they will still have a huge mountain to climb, as they would need away wins in Budapest, then in Barcelona, against teams that beat them comfortably in Savona. Group A Wednesday 2nd April 2025(CET times shown) Standings: 1. Novi Beograd 9, 2. Marseille 6, 3. Olympiacos 3, 4. Jadran 0 20.00 CN Marseille (FRA) v VK Novi Beograd (SRB) Previous results:MAR: 14-15 NBG (away), 11-9 Jadran (home), 12-7 Olympiacos (home)NBG: 15-14 Marseille (home), 8-5 Olympiacos (away), 17-8 Jadran (home)Head-to-head: 0-6Day 1: 14-15. 2023-24: 13-14, 10-13 (QFR). 2022-23: 4-11, 13-17. 2021-22: 10-16 (QF) Novi Beograd will be looking to bounce back from a bitter defeat at the weekend, as they lost their Regional League crown after losing in the semis to fellow Serbian side Radnicki. In the Champions League, however, they are on their way to another Final Four appearance as they’ve so far come out on top in all three of their Quarter Final Stage matches. A fourth victory would send them through, but, just like in Fradi’s case in Group B, they need another flawless performance to prevail in Marseille. The French also have something to leave behind, as their domestic unbeaten run recently came to a stunning end in Strasbourg where they had to settle for a shootout loss. Still, at home they are as formidable as ever, and two weeks ago they clinched a crucial big win against Olympiacos. Another victory against NBG would further boost their chances of making the cut this season, which would be a fantastic feat for the French champions. And no one should forget they forced a really tight match on the opening day in Belgrade, where they came back from four goals down to tie the game at 13-13 two minutes from time, but the Serbs had the better finish to win 15-14. 20.00 Olympiacos SFP (GRE) v Jadran Split (CRO) Previous results:OLY: 12-11 Jadran (away), 5-8 NBG (home), 7-12 Marseille (away)JAD: 11-12 Olympiacos (home), 9-11 Marseille (away), 8-17 NBG (away)Head-to-head: 8-0Day 1: 12-11. 2022-23: 13-8, 10-7. 2021-22: 12-10, 16-12. 2019-20: 17-8.  2018-19: 8-3, 13-7 After back-to-back losses, Olympiacos are looking to stay in contention and hoping for something extraordinary. The Greeks have an excellent line-up, but they’ve shown unusual signs of vulnerability this season, especially in their once-fearsome home pool. Their attack has been misfiring in recent matches, as they only scored five against Novi Beograd and seven in Marseille, so now they face an uphill battle in the remaining three rounds. Jadran Split, beaten in the Regional League final by Radnicki at the weekend, are already heading to the exit after three straight defeats. Just like last season, the Croats have struggled in the Quarter Final Stage, and it’s yet to be seen if they can find enough motivation to play a fine match in Piraeus – against a team which hold an 8-0 head-to-head record over them. – Watch all the Champions League Men action live on www.euroaquaticstv.com and stay up-to-date with live results/tables and real-time updates through the European Aquatics App. Download it here: Google Play.

1. Olympiacos have been built to win the Champions League title – nothing less. This is their designated target for every season, and that’s why their line-up includes the core of the finest Greek national team players and several overseas stars. Still, ever since they played back-to-back finals in 2018 and 2019, including a sensational triumph over Recco seven years ago, which took the trophy to Piraeus for the second time, they are now struggling to get even close to the top. A bronze medal from last season is their best effort since – and now they are facing another potential blow. Three years ago, they missed the cut for the Final 8, now they are falling behind in the race for the Final Four. While last season they managed to make the final showdown in Malta alongside Ferencvaros, Barceloneta and Novi Beograd – and even handed the Hungarian giant’s their only defeat in the whole season – they now sit in the third place in Group A behind Novi Beograd and Marseille after two straight defeats. However strong they are, it is astonishing how shaky they have been in their once fearsome home pool. They could only win one match in regular time during the Group Stage (against Sabadell), as they lost to Savona, and needed penalties to just get past Primorac Kotor – and this bad run of results has continued in the Quarter Final Stage, as they fell to Novi Beograd on Day 2. Still, their three away wins sent them through as group winners in the previous phase, so arriving in Marseille this week they were hoping to carry on that form. The French had other ideas, though. Traditionally strong at home in front of their partisan crowd, Marseille did a splendid job and managed to score at crucial moments. Again, the Greeks’ offence didn’t click. They were held to five goals by NBG three weeks ago, now they could score only seven, and just twice in the second half. Marseille did not only beat them, they did it soundly, which puts them in a good position if qualification comes down to the results between the two teams. If they do both finish on equal points, Olympiacos may need a six-goal blast against the French on the last day to make the trip to Malta, but judging by their recent results, a win like that at home looks far from likely. 2. A goalkeeper’s role in a team’s success has never been so paramount as today – not only in water polo but in all other ball sports where goals are scored. And when you are Unai Aguirre, with tremendous skills and outstanding mental strength, you are expected to contribute a great deal to your side’s performance. The young Spanish goalie had another exceptional match this week, as he produced a superb display in Zodiac CNAB’s most important encounter of the season – a visit to Savona where a Final Four berth was potentially on the line. A loss would have put Barceloneta in a challenging position for the second half of the Quarter Final Stage (ask Olympiacos how bad they are feeling right now…). The Spaniards won and it was Aguirre who, besides delivering the usual saves, came up with two exceptional moves to help his team build momentum. And both of them happened in the last seconds of a quarter, which is the perfect way to boost a team’s morale. The first was something you can’t expect from a goalie in a Champions League match. Making a save in a man-down was business as usual for Aguirre, but what came next was extraordinary. He indeed scored a goal after spotting fellow goalkeeper Gianmarco Nicosia off his line looking to stop a counter. Aguirre’s pinpoint 25m shot ended up in the net and gave Barceloneta a two-goal lead for the first time in the game, six seconds before half-time. Still, Savona came back strong and pressed hard. Barceloneta’s advantage was melting and in the very last second of the third quarter, a penalty was awarded to the Italians. Seasoned veteran Pietro Figliolo swam up to take it, just as he had done in the first period – but this time, Aguirre put his hand on the ball to keep CNAB in the lead. And the Spaniards kicked off the last period with a quick goal, so instead of 9-9, it was 8-10 and they never looked back. 3. Round by round, Ferencvaros have delivered a true demonstration of power. The Quarter Final Stage is usually the playing ground for the crème de la crème, where tight matches decide who will advance to the Final Four. In theory… In reality… Fradi’s first three matches unfolded as follows: 18-10, 17-9, 18-7. The last one this week, an away victory against CSM Oradea was the least surprising, but what highlighted how high FTC are flying this season was the list of players FTC left at home for the clash in Romania. Szilard Jansik, Marton Vamos, Adam Nagy and Vendel Vigvari – four world champions and core players of the Hungarian national team – didn’t travel. No other European side could possibly afford to leave two, perhaps not even one, out of their squad for a Champions League away game. Coach Balazs Nyeki assigned them to do swim workouts and regeneration at home instead. They were not ill, nor injured. The rotation of payers didn’t weaken the Magyars either, as the incoming young talents did a fine job, in defence and offence. Plus, goalkeeper Soma Vogel was able to produce his usual sprinkles of magic – this time a double penalty save within seconds. Fradi’s winning count now stands at 38-0, and Barceloneta await next in Spain, which is perhaps their last real challenge before the Final Four. 4. Croatia have regularly sent strong teams to the Champions League battlefield. In the good old days, Mladost Zagreb were a major force, as before the emergence of Recco, the Croats

Barceloneta managed to withstand the pressure in Savona and bagged all three points on Wednesday night, but the 10-14 victory in the Quarter Final Stage of the men’s Champions League didn’t come easily. A crucial penalty save by Aguirre at the end of the third was a big boost for the Spaniards, as was his stunning full-length of the pool goal six seconds before half-time. Elsewhere, title-holders Ferencvaros enjoyed an easy cruise against Oradea, netting 18 goals once more. Champions League MenQuarter Final StageGroup B – Day 3 ResultsWednesday 19th March 2025 RN Savona (ITA) 10-14 Zodiac CNAB (ESP)CSM Oradea (ROU) 7-18 FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN) Standings:1. FTC 9pts, 2. Zodiac CNAB 6pts, 3. Savona 3pts, 4. Oradea 0pts Savona took a flying start, as they stormed into a 2-0 lead while denying Barceloneta in back-to-back man-downs. After four minutes, the Spaniards could gain some ground and their two mastershooters Vince Vigvari and Alvaro Granados quickly brought them back to even. However, they went on wasting six on fives and Andrea Patchaliev’s man-up goal gave the Italians a 3-2 lead at the end of the first period. The visitors calmed down a bit during the break and their Hungarian duo, Vigvari and Gergo Burian, hit three goals to send CNAB ahead at 4-5. Though Alessandro Gullotta equalised from another extra, the Spaniards managed to net two goals before the break – including a full length of the pool shot from goalkeeper Unai Aguirre – to make it 5-7 at half-time. Savona’s Mario Guidi’s two fine shots from extras levelled the score in a span of 48 seconds early in the third. Two minutes of intensive battling followed, then Alejandro Bustos buried an extra, and Felipe Perrone delivered a trademark goal from a counter for 7-9. Patchaliev’s third hit halved the distance and Savona earned a penalty in the very last second, though the ensuing debate on the pooldeck delayed its execution. And even though it was Pietro Figlioli – the hosts’ seasoned veteran – who swam up for the shot, nerves took over and Aguirre expertly stopped the ball. When Barceloneta kicked off the fourth with a tremendous action goal from Bernat Sanahuja, that penalty stop looked even more crucial – as instead of 9-9, the scoreboard moved quickly to 8-10, which was absolutely crucial in the fourth period of such a high-stakes encounter. Daniil Merkulov’s distant blast then hit the back of the net, but the Spanish set Bustos up once more in their next man-up and the centre didn’t miss from close for 9-11. And soon it was virtually over – a counter, a penalty and Vigvari’s fourth goal of the night expanded the gap to three goals with five minutes remaining. Then it was four, as Perrone added another nice one from action for 9-13, and these three goals from CNAB in 91 seconds put an end to the contest. The last four minutes saw one goal apiece, but ultimately Barceloneta showed their class and took a huge step towards the Final Four. In Romania, packed stands, including dozens of Fradi supporters awaited the teams, and the Hungarian side offered a lot to cheer for those who had made the three-hour drive from Budapest to Oradea. After 1-1, the title-holders staged a 0-4 rush, which included three counter-attack goals. The hosts were playing under huge pressure, as any missed shot or loose ball triggered another deadly counter. And those kept coming in quick succession, while FTC goalkeeper Soma Vogel also offered something special. Saving a penalty is like a walk in the park for the Hungarian star, and against the Romanians he set a new standard by saving two in three seconds. After his first stop, another penalty was called as the rebound landed in the hand of the shooter, Filip Gardasevic, who was fouled again. Still, Vogel also caught Ivan Gusarov’s shot, which sent the fans wild. Fradi didn’t slow down after the first break either, as Edoardo di Somma hit two from action in 31 seconds, Gergo Fekete converted a penalty for 1-8, then Levente Vancsik finally halted Fradi’s 0-7 run and scored after a drought of 12 minutes. Still, 39 seconds were enough for the green army to add two more by half-time, as di Somma and Stylianos Argyropulos fired in to make it 2-10. Oradea got some breathing space in the third, as Fradi’s grip was loosened a bit, at least at the back which resulted in a more balanced third period with four goals apiece. But that was all as FTC tightened their defence back up in the fourth, limiting the Romanians to a single goal like in the first two periods and they stopped at 18 goals at the other end – after hitting 18 against Barceloneta and 17 versus Savona. Indeed, Oradea had their Serbian goalie Lazar Dobozanov to thank as well, as he delivered 12 saves, and many of them were huge, which prevented Fradi from reaching the 20s. After three comfortable wins, it seems no one can prevent the Magyars from qualifying for the Final Four as Group B winners. Watch all the Champions League Men action live on www.euroaquaticstv.com and stay up-to-date with live results/tables and real-time updates through the European Aquatics App. Download it here: Google Play.

There are crucial clashes in Marseille and Savona this week as the teams on three points after two rounds face off both in Group A and Group B in the men’s Champions League Quarter Final Stage. CN Marseille meet Olympiacos SFP, while RN Savona take on Zodiac CNAB, and the respective winners will take a huge step towards the Final Four. Group A Tuesday 18th March 2025(CET times shown) Standings: 1. NBG 6, 2. Marseille 3, 2. Olympiacos 3, 4. Jadran 0 20.00 VK Novi Beograd (SRB) v VK Jadran Split (CRO) Previous results:NBG: 15-14 Marseille (home), 8-5 Olympiacos (away)JAD: 11-12 Olympiacos (home), 9-11 Marseille (away)Head-to-head (CL): 4-02023-24, QF: 15-11, 15-10. 2021-22: 17-12, 14-7 Novi Beograd’s brilliant win in Piraeus three weeks ago saw them take a giant step towards the Final Four. However, to back up that defensive masterpiece – holding the Greek champions to five goals in their home pool – the Serbians need to do what they have always achieved in the Champions League, beat Jadran in Belgrade. These two sides know each other well, as besides the European stage, they frequently clash in the Regional League. NBG are also dominating in that competition, and in the last few years they’ve built a 5-1 advantage, though this season both their encounters ended in a shootout. The Serbians took two points in both, but this shows that the fans might witness another tight contest on Tuesday night, where the Croatians will go all-in, as a third straight defeat may rule them out in the hunt for the Final Four berths. 20.00 CN Marseille (FRA) v Olympiacos Piraeus (GRE) Previous results:MAR: 14-15 NBG (away), 11-9 Jadran (home)OLY: 12-11 Jadran (away), 5-8 NBG (home)Head-to-head: 1-22020-21: 9-8, 7-11, 12-13 (F8, 7-8th place) Since both teams fell to Novi Beograd in the previous rounds, this encounter is absolutely crucial. The winner shall have a huge advantage, and we all know that Marseille can pose a serious threat to any team visiting their noisy home. Olympiacos will look to continue their great away form and show their power on the road once again, just as they did in the Group Stage. Three wins in as many matches sent them through after a couple of shaky performances at home – and that trend has returned so far in the quarters. They beat Jadran in Split, then crashed against Novi Beograd in front of their enthusiastic fans. Now they travel to Marseille and this is going to be a new experience for the Greeks, as the matches they played in the 2020-2021 season were all held in neutral venues (due to the Covid restrictions, the entire group stage was played in Rome, and the F8 in Belgrade). Group B Wednesday 19th March 2025(CET times shown) Standings: 1. FTC 6, 2. CNAB 3, 2. Savona 3, 4. Oradea 0 20.00 RN Savona (ITA) v Zodiac CNAB (ESP) Previous results:SAV: 17-11 Oradea (away), 9-17 FTC (home)CNAB: 10-18 FTC (away), 17-4 Oradea (home)Head-to-head: Never met in CL Similarly to the match in Marseille, this clash in Savona has a lot at stake. Both teams beat Oradea and lost to Ferencvaros – so it’s clear that the second qualifying spot will be largely determined by the outcome of this duel. Barceloneta are definitely stronger, but the Spaniards’ recent crash in Budapest showed that sometimes even their tremendous quality may not prevail. Ever since that terrible beating, CNAB returned to winning ways, though, as they lifted the Spanish cup and have defeated all their rivals in the domestic league with ease. Savona battled themselves through some tough resistance to reach the Italian Cup final last weekend, but fell to Recco in a difficult battle. In the group stage, they learnt some Spanish lessons after losing to Sabadell at home, but they took revenge in the away match with a shootout win, which ultimately sent them through. Still, in this game, Barceloneta are the favourites and any other outcome would be an upset. 20.00 CSM Oradea (ROU) v FTC-Telekom (HUN) Previous results:ORA: 11-17 Savona (home), 4-17 CNAB (away)FTC: 18-10 CNAB (home), 17-9 Savona (away)Head-to-head: Never met in CL.2017 Euro Cup final: 6-12, 7-7 All credit goes to Oradea for making this round, as they defied all the odds. However, if there is a fixture in this round where no one gives one side the slimmest chance for a win, this is the match. The mighty Ferencvaros – the title holders – come to visit the surprise side after demolishing Barceloneta first, then Savona, both by eight goals. As of today, their winning streak stands at 37-0 across all competitions this season and it’s hard to see it coming to an end on Wednesday. In contrast, Oradea conceded 17 goals in each of their previous two games against opponents Fradi soundly beat. Still, the game should be a spectacle for the water polo loving locals, many of whom belong to the local Magyar minority as Oradea sits only a couple of kilometres from the Hungarian-Romanian border. – Watch all the Champions League Men action live on www.euroaquaticstv.com and stay up-to-date with live results/tables and real-time updates through the European Aquatics App. Download it here: Google Play.