April 2025

1. Just like last season, all four spots for the Final Four have been booked on Day 5, and only the semi-final pairings will be determined on the last day. Title-holders FTC-Telekom and last season’s fourth-placed Novi Beograd will return to Malta, while Barceloneta will appear on the grand stage after missing the cut last season and Marseille wrote history by advancing to the Final Four. The French were part of the show in 2021 and 2022, but lost in the quarters on both occasions, while now they are among the top four European teams – this achievement may even surpass their previous top result, their Euro Cup triumph in 2019. For Fradi, this is going to be their sixth straight participation in the finals – their journey took a dream start in 2019 when they lifted the trophy right away, followed by silver and bronze, then a sixth place finish before clinching the title again a year ago. Novi Beograd played back-to-back finals when they enjoyed a guaranteed berth as the host of the F8 in 2022 and 2023, then the Serbs earned the F4 spot on their own last season and now did it again. In contrast, Barceloneta fell disappointingly in the Quarter Final Stage a year ago – which was only the second time since their first big march to the gold medal bout in 2013. Indeed, in the past 11 seasons, Barceloneta missed the finals only twice (2017 and 2022) and missed the top four on two more occasions (in 2016 and in 2021) – so they are back where they kind of belong, in the top-flight of European club water polo. 2. Last year, it was Barceloneta that had to wave a painful goodbye to the finals – now it’s Olympiacos’ turn to swallow the bitter pill of losing out. Perhaps it’s even more dramatic for the Greeks as record-winners Recco skipped the Champions League campaign this season and it seemed that FTC, CNAB, NBG and Olympiacos would enjoy an easy ride to Malta. While the other three passed their respective tests with flying colours, the Greeks already had some ups and downs in the Group Stage. What had once been a fearful place for all teams, the Papastrateio Pool in Piraeus, it became a grab-and-go venue, as visiting teams grabbed points and left smiling. Olympiacos managed to win only one match in regular time in the previous phase, and in the Quarter Final Stage they’ve earned a single point at home so far, in two matches. While they could counterbalance that by winning all three away ties a round earlier, this time they lost both. The last one in Belgrade, despite some great efforts in the fourth period, knocked them out from the hunt for the F4 berth. With the line-up they have, it’s can be classed as a failure. 3. It was quite interesting to see in Group B, how the two favourites, Ferencvaros and Barceloneta, were going through some really tough periods, let alone suffering, before staging great finishes and winning their respective matches on the penultimate day. In Budapest, during the third period and with 1:35 to go, Savona scored and trailed only 9-8 in the home of the title-holders. Meanwhile, in Oradea, also in the third period, with 1:24 to go, Oradea scored and trailed only 8-9 in their pool against the mighty Spaniards. Still, both giants responded as great teams usually do – no panicking, as both Fradi and CNAB netted a goal in their next possession. Szilard Jansik managed to push one in from close after a lucky rebound, while Alvaro Granados put the ball away in a man-up – so both sides led 10-8 before the final period where they never let their rivals any closer. It was more proof that in the Champions League, no win can be taken for granted, especially not at this stage – but it was also a clear message from the two strong teams that they could keep their calm under pressure and deliver when it mattered the most. Their reward is a hassle-free final round, as these victories secured their respective tickets to the Final Four. 4. Taking over Recco’s spot on behalf of Italy came as a surprise for Savona last summer, but the Italian side stepped up and tried to fill their shoes – which was quite a challenge. Indeed, the Italians managed to clear the first hurdle, including a couple of spectacular wins, with their brilliant victory in Piraeus the pick of the bunch. Then, in the Quarter Final Stage, they were running out of miracles. They delivered the mandatory victories over Oradea, but could only push Barceloneta and Fradi to the limits before falling short. Those losses were somewhat similar, as Savona could stay close for three periods – first at home against CNAB, then, somewhat surprisingly, in Budapest against FTC in this last round. However, the favourites prevailed in the fourth, thanks to the inevitable difference between the quality of the respective line-ups. 5. This is the second year the Quarter Final Stage is taking place and Jadran Split have experienced nothing but misery in this phase so far. At least they had a positive result in the previous round when they upset Olympiacos in Piraeus by claiming a shootout victory, and only a late equaliser prevented them from taking all three points. Some may have thought they would cause some headaches for Marseille too, but their performance at home fell well short of their high standards, as no Croatian champion should lose 6-18 at home to any team. But it happened this week against Marseille, as the French side thrashed them and it was clear Jadran’s gigantic struggles in the Quarter Final Stage were back. Until 2023, Jug Dubrovnik made the finals every year – Jadran then started to reign at home, but finished the quarters with 0-6 a year ago. Well, after the national team’s heroics at the Europeans (silver in January)

Novi Beograd fended off Olympiacos’ late surge in a 31-goal classic to seal their fifth straight appearance in the finals, while the Greek champions will miss the endgame for the second time after 2022. Marseille claimed their fourth win in a row as they routed Jadran in Split in the most lop-sided contest Group A has seen so far. This great win also sent the French side through, so for the first time in their history, they belong in the top four European sides. Champions League MenQuarter Final StageGroup A – Day 5 ResultsWednesday 23rd April 2025 VK Novi Beograd (SRB) 16-15 Olympiacos SFP (GRE)VK Jadran Split (CRO) 6-18 CN Marseille (FRA) Standings: 1. Marseille 12pts, 1. Novi Beograd 12pts, 3. Olympiacos 4pts, 4. Jadran Split 2pts Olympiacos’ dramatic fall began with their stunning 5-8 home defeat by NBG on day two of the Quarter Final Stage and they arrived in Belgrade this week with their season on the line. Only three points would have saved them from elimination, but the first minutes of the game was anything but a dream start for the Greeks. NGB took a flying start and led 4-1 before a double from Dimitrios Nikolaidis halted the Serbs’ march. Still, the Greek defence didn’t click, as the hosts’ blasts from the perimeter were finding the corners of the net. In contrast, Olympiacos’ attack was relying on their great centre-forwards, who delivered exclusions, then finished off the man-ups from 2m – but NBG still managed to keep the gap at 2-3 goals, as there was always a hole in the Greek wall which they were able to find six more times in the second period. It was 11-8 at half-time – again, a reminder: the first match ended 5-8 – and even though the third saw more success at the back and only two goals apiece, Novi seemed to be sitting in the driving seat comfortably. Olympiacos at least found some support in the goal as incoming goalie Panagiotis Tzortzatos delivered a couple of important saves. Early in the fourth, he added two more, one in a man-down, and the top Piraeus snipers Gergo Zalanki and Konstantinos Genidounias found the back of the net in quick succession. In four minutes, NBG had stumbled into trouble – marked by the unusual move of bringing in their reserve goalie Francesco De Michelis, then sending back the subbed starting red-capper Milan Glusac. It happened after Genidounias’ third successive perimeter shot, which gave Olympiacos a 13-14 lead with 3:41 on the clock. Young Vasilije Martinovic stepped up and halted the Greeks’ 0-4 surge with a fine finish from a man-up, three minutes from time. A turnover foul and an exclusion in transition, and another brilliant Martinovic shot gave the plot another twist. At 15-14, a steal killed another Greek attack – so after scoring four, they couldn’t take a shot in their next two possessions and they couldn’t stop NBG scoring another 6 on 5 either. It was Martinovic again who sent the ball home, which also sealed NBG’s Final Four spot. Genidounias hit his fifth 1:06 from time, but Olympiacos needed a regular time win to keep their slim hopes alive, and couldn’t even force a shootout as an over-cooked long pass ruined their last counter. In Croatia, it took just eight minutes for Marseille to blow Jadran Split away – the French giants stormed into a 0-4 lead in the first period and that did the damage and set the tone. After four minutes of fine defending at both ends, Thomas Vernoux opened the scoring. Jadran missed their fourth man-up soon after and next came a classic whirlwind, three possessions, and three action goals by the French in a span of 101 seconds – Ugo Crousillat, Vernoux and Alexandre Bouet all did a splendid job. A brilliant counter early in the second quarter, finished off by Andrija Prlainovic, further expanded the gap and Marseille could even afford missing man-ups at this stage, as Jadran couldn’t find a way past the French defence and especially their excellent Montenegrin goalie Petar Tesanovic. The first home goal came after almost 12 minutes, as Duje Pejkovic blasted one from 6m, but Marseille just went on with their business, burying 6 on 5s, and adding another one from action to make it 1-8. Loren Fatovic pulled one back, but the scoreline still looked devastating from Jadran’s angle. The two goalies’ performances were like heaven and earth, Marko Bijac was 1 on 9, while Tesanovic 7 on 9 – though this usually also mirrors the support level. Indeed, the second half didn’t look any better for the hosts. Jadran struck early, but then conceded five more in the third. This was too much to handle for a couple of players, as first to exit was Fatovic with a red card, while Josip Buselic was ejected for four minutes in the fourth. No wonder, it ended up in a rout, Marseille stopped at 18 to cap off their best European run in their history. They have reached the F8s in the past, but never made it through the quarters – now they are in the top four sides in the Champions League, after their fourth straight victory. The Champions League Men Quarter Final Stage concludes on Wednesday 14th May and you can catch all the 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. Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics

As expected, FTC-Telekom and Zodiac CNAB qualified for the Final Four on Tuesday night, however, they both had to navigate tough tests in the penultimate round of the Champions League Quarter Final Stage. Towards the end of the third, Savona and Oradea each trailed only 8-9, then the favourites stepped up late to secure the necessary wins with powerful finishes. Champions League MenQuarter Final StageGroup B – Day 5 ResultsTuesday 22nd April 2025 FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN) 15-11 RN Savona (ITA)CSM Oradea (ROU) 8-14 Zodiac CNAB (ESP) Standings: 1. FTC 13pts, 2. Zodiac CNAB 11pts, 3. Savona 6pts, 4. Oradea 0pts The title-holders started this match just like they did in the first three rounds of this stage, when they thrashed all their rivals – Savona were dismantled on Day 2 in Italy when Fradi won 17-9. Four minutes into the first, the hosts were 3-0 up already, and once the scoreboard ticked to 4-0, veteran Valerio Rizzo finally got Savona off the mark 1:28 from the first break, but fellow Italian Edoardo di Somma reset the four-goal gap before the buzzer. With more blasts from Marton Vamos, Adam Nagy and the season’s leading scorer Stylianos Argyropoulos, Fradi were 8-3 up late in the second and Savona were barely showing any signs of providing tougher opposition. Then, a couple of finely played man-ups, a killed 6 on 4 and a series of great saves from Gianmarco Nicosia heated up the battle which stood 8-5 at half-time. Another denied 6 on 5 and another great finish in a man-up from Lorenzo Bruni brought Savona back to 8-6. Nicosia came up with more saves and FTC needed four minutes to score again when Dusan Mandic sent the ball home from a man-up. Still, Daniil Merkulov and Rizzo stunned FTC goalkeeper Daniel Szakonyi with back-to-back goals from the perimeter (Soma Vogel was watching from the bench). The Hungarians have rarely experienced anything similar in their home matches, that a rival was trailing by one shortly before the final quarter. With some luck and fighting spirit, Szilard Jansik pushed in a rebound to give FTC a bit more breathing room at 10-8 going into the last eight minutes. In the fourth, Fradi stepped through the gears and left no doubt who were the better team. They were more vibrant in attack, netting their first two man-ups, by Krisztian Manhercz and Argyropoulos, and even though Mario Giuidi scored in the same lucky way as Jansik had done, the hosts’ defence managed to kill the next two man-downs and that was crucial. Argyropoulos converted a penalty with 3:58 remaining, and at 13-9, there was no way back for Savona. Two more fine goals apiece entertained the capacity crowd, which celebrated another Final Four berth for Ferencvaros. In Romania, Oradea put up a great fight, as they delivered their best performance so far at this stage – still, they left their pool empty-handed as Barceloneta had a lot more gas left the tank in the last period – and of course, they had Alvaro Granados. The Spanish took a flying start and jumped to a 0-2 lead, but in a span 100 seconds, Filip Gardasevic equalised. Alejandro Bustos finished off a counter for 2-3, then in the second quarter, the home crowd erupted in joy as Oradea staged a brilliant 3-0 run. A man-up and two action goals left the visitors stranded before Bernat Sanahuja’s fierce shot halted Oradea’s march three minutes from the turnaround. In 30 seconds, Lazar Dobozanov made a save in a man-down, then stopped Granados’ penalty, but he couldn’t deny Unai Biel in a counter, with 0:17 on the clock. The Serbian goalie withheld the Spaniards for four more minutes before Gergely Burjan netted a 6 on 5 for 5-6. The Hungarian leftie added another one before the usual Alvaro Granados Show began. The mastershooter buried a penalty and put away two extras and he did that under pressure as Oradea kept scoring in the third. At 8-9, with 1:24 on the clock, few would have guessed that Tommaso Insinna’s goal would be the hosts’ last one of the evening. For five minutes, the Romanians were still battling hard, they killed two more man-downs, but their heroics also burnt a lot of energy. Alejandro Bustos could finally beat them in a man-up and he did the same a minute later to make it 8-12. Two more action goals, including a 4th from Granados, closed down the contest – CNAB staged a 0-4 rush in the last three minutes to secure their return to the finals after missing the last edition. You can 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. Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics

The penultimate day of the Champions League Quarter Final Stage may see all four Final Four spots booked – however, the recent World Cup break may have an impact on the performances, meaning four exciting encounters are in sight this week. Group B Tuesday 22nd April 2025(CET times shown) Standings: 1. FTC 10, 2. CNAB 8, 3. Savona 6, 4. Oradea 0 20.00 FTC-Telekom (HUN) v RN Savona (ITA) Previous results:FTC: WWWLSAV: WLLWHead-to-head: 1-0Day 2: 17-9 Though Ferencvaros’ magnificent 40-game winning streak came to an end in the previous round against Barceloneta, the Hungarians are still sitting in the driving seat as they gained a point on Day 4 (despite losing the shootout). Just like their opening day magic against the Spaniards was perhaps a bit of an over-achievement (beating them 18-10), the same goes for their overwhelming performance in Savona where they thrashed the Italians 17-9 on Day 2. Many bet that on Tuesday evening they will face a much tougher encounter against the Italians, who are looking to grab their last chance to make the cut for the finals. And the Italians didn’t stop for the World Cup break as they were not part of the show in Podgorica, so Savona are very much in-play, unlike Fradi, whose players were involved largely, and as a team, the title-holders haven’t played a game since Day 4. To gear up, they had a joint training camp and an exhibition match with Savona’s local arch-rivals Pro Recco. This might have helped them to regain their rhythm, still, this upcoming match promises a good fight. As for the outcome, even a shootout loss would be enough to send FTC through, while Savona need a regular time win to keep their slim hopes alive. 20.00 CSM Oradea (ROU) v Zodiac CNAB (ESP) Previous results:ORA: LLLLCNAB: LWWWHead-to-head: 0-3Day 2: 4-17. 2012-13: 5-15, 8-12 (eight-finals) It’s hard to see any other result than a Spanish win in this match. They outclassed the Romanians at home, and many of their players should be in an upbeat mood after the national team’s World Cup victory – so they are well set to cash in three more points. Assuming Savona don’t pull off a remarkable win in Budapest, a victory for CNAB would be enough for CNAB to make the cut and return to the finals after missing the grand occasion last year. Group A Wednesday 23rd April 2025(CET times shown) Standings: 1. Marseille 9, 1. Novi Beograd 9, 3. Olympiacos 4, 4. Jadran 2 20.00 VK Novi Beograd (SRB) v Olympiacos SFP (GRE) Previous results:NBG: WWWLOLY: WLLLHead-to-head: 2-2 (1d)Day 2: 8-5. 2023-24: 6-9 (F4, bronze). 2022-23: 13-11 (F8, QF). 2021-22: 12-12, 9-12 After three straight losses, including the Day 4 heart-breaker against bottom-ranked Jadran at home, Olympiacos are heading to the exit. For some players, the silver medal from the World Cup may serve as a morale booster, and changing the coach of the club may also be a push to grab their very last chance in Belgrade. Georgios Ntoskas, who replaced Hrvoje Koljanin, still faces a mountain to climb and their first challenge couldn’t have been any harder – an away game against Novi Beograd. The Serbs enjoyed a great run in the first half of this stage, but Marseille beat them soundly on Day 4. It’s to be seen if they are able to recover from that shock – indeed, their local stars could play and train together as the Serbs failed to make the World Cup finals. For the Greeks, only three points will keep them alive, but ultimately it still might not save them from dropping out the race. NBG need just a point from this clash to make the cut for Malta. 20.00 VK Jadran Split (CRO) v CN Marseille (FRA) Previous results:JAD: LLLWMAR: LWWWHead-to-head: 0-5Day 2: 9-11. 2023-24: 12-14, 10-17 (2017-18, Euro cup QF: 10-11, 5-7) Finally on Day 4, Jadran broke their curse in the Quarter Final Stage, as they won a game after nine straight losses (including last season). But that stunning result against Olympiacos in Piraeus – with Marko Bijac’s four penalty stops and one more which gave them the win in the shootout – was still not enough to stay in the hunt. However, the Croats played for pride and helped rebuild their reputation – and it was also an alarm call for Marseille that they can not take anything granted during their visit to Split. The French giants have hit tremendous form and are on a three-game winning streak. Their brilliant five-goal triumphs against Olympiacos (12-7), and Novi Beograd (14-9) even put them in pole position to win the group – though they have to keep their feet on the ground and deliver on the last two days to secure their spot in the Final Four. This is going to be an exciting encounter – Marseille have done great at home, but now they have two away games where they have to prove their quality. – 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. Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics

French giants CN Marseille emphatically beat VK Novi Beograd and are on course to win Group A if they keep up the levels they showed in the middle two periods when they hit 10 goals. VK Jadran Split’s late comeback helped the two top ranked sides as they stunned Olympiacos with a 0-4 rush in the fourth and won the shootout – the best possible outcome for the teams checking the scores from France. Champions League MenQuarter Final StageGroup A – Day 4 Results CN Marseille (FRA) 14-9 Novi Beograd (SRB)Olympiacos SFP 7-7 (6-7P) VK Jadran Split (CRO) Standings: 1. Marseille 9, 1. Novi Beograd 9, 3. Olympiacos 4, 4. Jadran 2 CN Marseille’s pool has been like a trip to hell for visiting teams – but what VK Novi Beograd experienced was perhaps the deepest level of the inferno. At least after three periods when the French were up by eight. The opening eight minutes were balanced, with a lot of missed extras and Marseille needed six minutes to score their first for 1-1, then Alessandro Velotto managed to put away a second shot in a man-up 35 seconds from time to put the hosts ahead. After a quick exchange of goals, a French whirlwind hit the Serbs as the hosts really started rolling. Daniel Angyal buried a nicely played man-up from close, then, after a wasted NBG man-up, Marc Larumbe also netted one and Michael Bodegas added another one from the centre for 6-2. Three goals in a span of 1:39 minutes floored the visitors, even though they pulled one back, the French replied with two in a minute for 8-3. A last-gasp goal gave some hope for NBG, but in the third they were simply blown away. Marseille played the perfect quarter, hitting four from extras while they killed five man-downs. Petar Tesanovic was brilliant in the French goal, while his opposite number Milan Glusac was unable to offer that firm backing for his side, which propelled NBG to great wins in Piraeus and at home against Jadran. Down by eight, NBG were wounded, and if Olympiacos were winning against Jadran – as expected – it looked like there was a chance a three-way tie was on the horizon when the Greeks visit Belgrade on Day 5. The Serbs felt that and stepped up in the fourth, scoring three in 76 seconds – the win was still out of grasp but it looked a bit better at 12-7. Andrija Prlainovic halted their comeback, but NBG could score more and keep the five-goal gap at least. As it turned out, Jadran helped the Serbs by keeping Olympiacos at bay, still, it was a resounding defeat, and a huge win for Marseille, who can now even dream of finishing top – at least, in case of equal points, they would prevail against NBG. After back-to-back defeats, Olympiacos faced Jadran in a must-win game. Since the Croats lost their previous three, it seemed this was the perfect set-up for the Greeks to regain some ground and prepare for the last two showdowns against their main rivals. After three periods, even though Jadran put up a great fight, the home side were in control winning each period 2-1. Two fast goals in 50 seconds seemed to set the tone in the first quarter – but there was no follow-up from the Greeks. Instead, Loren Fatovic put Jadran on the scoreboard after five minutes and they really did some great defending. Marko Bijac, leaving Olympiacos last summer to return home and join Jadran, kicked off the second period with a penalty save, but fellow Croat Luka Loncar beat him from action to end Olympiacos almost nine-minute long drought. Though Jadran also struggled with their man-ups, Fatovic scored again from action for 3-2, but a great centre-shot by Dimitrios Nikolaidis reset the two-goal cushion by half-time. Dusan Banicevic scored an early goal in the third, then came some hard battling with a second penalty stop by Bijac. Still, two minutes from time, Gergo Zalanki broke the ice in a six on five and Konstantinos Kakaris added another from a man-up for 6-3. Indeed, nothing predicted what was coming next. Zvonimir Butic, who really struggled with his shots (he finished with 1/9), managed to pull one back from action, then Jadran killed a man-down and Antonio Duzevic’s goal really fired up the Croats at 6-5. There were still four minutes to play, then Bijac stopped Dimitrios Dimou’s penalty too, and Fatovic hit his third at the other end for 6-6. Jadran were flying high and soon they were in the lead – Marcus Berehulak scored in a dying man-up with 1:52 to go. The Greeks were stunned and there was more shocking moments to come as a fourth penalty was called, and Bijac perhaps set a new world record by stopping Zalanki’s shot too. Jadran had the ball with a minute left and they forced back-to-back corners, so only 0:04 was remaining when Olympiacos called a time-out. It seemed all was lost, but there was one more twist in this extraordinary encounter. Konstantinos Genidounias got the pass from the restart on the perimeter and after missing four normal shots, he went for something unexpected, a backhand, which caught Bijac by surprise. It was arguably the goal of the Quarter Final Stage so far, and good enough to save the match to a tie. Watching Bijac as he went 4/4 with penalty saves in regular time, it was hard to imagine Jadran would lose the shootout, but for a while, the Croatian goalie couldn’t repeat his earlier magic. At the other end, no saves arrived either, so six rounds went without a miss, then Fatovic scored again and Bijac could finally put his hand on Ioannis Fountoulis’ shot to secure a great win for Jadran. These two points are no help for them though – as Marseille beat NBG, the Croats are out, but at least they won’t finish the Quarter Final Stage with

By Gergely Csurka In a thrilling match, Zodiac CNAB managed to beat FTC Telekom Waterpolo on Day 4 of the Champions League Quarter Final Stage. Not in regular time, though, as a fantastic fight ended 9-9, but Unai Aguirre’s two penalty stops earned two points for the Spaniards in the shootout. It was the title-holders’ first loss in the entire season, after 40 straight victories. Elsewhere, Savona delivered an expected win against Oradea, but still face an uphill battle to catch the two giants. Champions League MenQuarter Final StageGroup B – Day 4 ResultsTuesday 1st April 2025 Zodiac CNAB (ESP) 9-9 (4-3P) FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN)RN Savona (ITA) 14-9 CSM Oradea (ROU) Standings: 1. FTC 10pts, 2. Zodiac CNAB 8pts, 3. Savona 6pts, 4. Oradea 0pts The game of the day was between the two big heavyweights – Zodiac CNAB and FTC-Telekom Waterpolo – and after two minutes of intense battling, Hungarian Vince Vigvari opened the scoring for Barceloneta, as he stunned his national team-mate Soma Vogel from the wing with a fierce shot. Fradi missed their first extra, then Unai Biel beat the blocks and the goalie to make it 2-0. After Vigvari’s earlier strike, it was fitting Ferencvaros’ opening hit came from a Spaniard, as centre-forward Miguel de Toro put the title-holders on the scoreboard with a fine backhand shot. Both sides missed their following six on fives, before Barceloneta’s Gergely Burian continued his team’s trend of Hungarians scoring against the Hungarians as he finished off a well-worked counter. FTC missed their third extra shortly before the first break and wasted their fourth early in the second too. It was Serbian ace Dusan Mandic who could finally bring Fradi closer with his usual rocket while barely rising above the water for 3-2. Soon it was 3-3, as after CNAB also remained silent in a six on five, Edoardo di Somma put the ball away from a counter after Vogel’s 28m pinpoint pass. Vince Vigvari replied from the penalty line to score the first non-action goal of the game for 4-3, then Stylianos Argyropoulos’ shot sneaked under Aguirre’s arm to break Fradi’s bad run in man-ups. FTC killed another man-down, but couldn’t take the lead – instead, Alberto Munarriz buried a six on four, while Aguirre came up with big saves twice within one man-down to keep the Spaniards’ 5-4 advantage at half-time. The reigning champions caught a wave early in the third, as after two and a half minutes, Krisztian Manhercz put away a man-up, and just 45 seconds later Akos Nagy sent Fradi ahead for the first time at 5-6. CNAB’s veteran Felipe Perrone – who else? – then calmly stepped up and fired one in from the perimeter for 6-6. Aguirre was sensational as he stopped Mandic’s penalty, then Fradi killed a man-down, but failed to score from their one, and Martin Famera beat Vogel from distance as CNAB moved back in front at 7-6. Aguirre had another stop in a man-down, but couldn’t do much eight seconds from time when Argyropoulos converted a six on five after a time-out, so Fradi climbed back to 7-7 with eight minutes to go. At the start of the fourth, Barceloneta had lots of possession, including a man-up, but three shots weren’t enough to go ahead – then Bernat Sanahuja needed just one and that was quite a blast from the right wing to put the hosts 8-7 up. Aguirre – who was having an incredible game – stopped Manhercz’s shot, then Vogel, who was off his best, made a crucial save and Marton Vamos levelled it up at the other end with 3:31 on the clock. The reply came immediately, as Alejandro Bustos put away a man-up – but similarly, Fradi also converted from close. It was a feat as Akos Nagy scored with his right, though he is left-handed. Vogel then produced two big saves, both in man-downs, with the last one 26 seconds from time to give his side the chance to win the game, but they couldn’t do it as di Somma’s effort was caught by Aguirre in the last second. So, the decision was left to the shootout and this time it was Aguirre who delivered two moments of magic. He stopped Mandic’s penalty again, then headed out Manhercz’s shot and that was enough as Vogel couldn’t touch the ball this time. Biel hit the bar in the fourth round to give some hope for Fradi, but it ended as it had begun – Vince Vigvari sent the ball home to seal CNAB’s big win and spark some wild celebrations. Indeed, a Hungarian ended the Hungarians’ grand winning streak, at the same stage as last year, when Fradi suffered their first loss on Day 4 in the Champions League. It’s yet to be seen if this is going to remain their only loss this season. Elsewhere, RN Savona made few mistakes against CSM Oradea as they stormed into a 7-2 lead by half-time, which practically decided the outcome. The Italians started off exactly how overwhelming favourites are expected to begin a game like this. They jumped to a 3-0 lead in less then five minutes, while killing a man-down, then a six on four where Gianmarco Nicosia came up with stunning back-to-back saves. Though the Romanians pulled one back, Alessandro Gullotta buried another extra to make it 4-1 before the first break. The hosts’ intensity levels dropped a bit in the second, as their next goal came midway through this quarter, then Ivan Gusarov was able to blast one in from 6m for 5-2, but shortly before the half-time interval, Gullotta and Lorenzo Bruni both scored from action within 44 seconds for 7-2. Midway through the third, Savona were 9-2 up, but this is when the hosts’ concentration levels began to deteriorate a little. Mostly in defence, as after limiting Oradea to two goals in 20 minutes, they conceded seven in the remaining 12. However, their win was never in danger as they