April 2026

1. On Day 1 of the Champions League quarter-final Stage, Recco became the first team in two years to beat Ferencvaros in regular time. And the way they dismantled the title-holders was astonishing, a 0-5 opening period and a four-goal win at the end, it was Recco at their best. Come Day 4, and Fradi ended Recco’s unbeaten streak the Italians had held across all competitions since their Super Cup final loss to Fradi in early October. It is somewhat ironic that FTC came up with this heroic effort on Day 4 – in the previous two seasons, when they had their monstrous 88-2 run (all matches included), those two defeats came in the fourth round of the quarter-final stage respectively when Fradi visited the strongest rivals and fell to Olympiacos in 2024, then to Barceloneta (in a shootout) in 2025. This season, they have already suffered two defeats, against Brescia and Recco, both at home and with three key players injured – replaced by talented juniors – and a couple of more playing with sickness (like Stylianos Argyropoulos), Fradi didn’t look like a team ready to achieve one of the biggest feats in water polo, to upend Recco in Genoa. Then in the first period it was already clear, that this was going to be different – Fradi was 0 for 5 in man-ups on Day 1, now they went 6 for 6, which highlighted Recco’s problems during these weeks, the vulnerability of their defence. They conceded 16 in their last league match from Savona and at the end this week Fradi also stopped at 16. Down by six at half-time, 4-10, Recco tried to stage a big comeback and indeed they had a seven-on-six at the end to tie the game, but the Magyar defence denied them and Szilard Jansik sent the ball to the empty net to seal FTC’s win and maintain their unbeaten run in away matches (across all competitions). It’s not a big blow for Recco, though, just a small chink in their armour – since Mladost sank in Hannover, it is almost sure that Recco and Fradi will qualify to the Final Four, and since the Italians managed to get inside the four-goal gap (they won 13-9 in Budapest), they have a good chance to keep the top spot in the group. 2. Since the Champions League brand and playing format started in the 2013/14 season, Recco have only been beaten three times at home – an amazing run from the 11-times winners. In 2019, OSC Budapest won 9-12, followed by CNAB’s 8-9 win in 2023, and now Fradi upended them 14-16. What links the first and the current defeats is the brilliant Krisztian Manhercz. Playing for OSC seven years ago, he led the charge with three goals – now he hit five, four right away in the first period. It also stood out how much impact came from the players who skipped the demanding World Cup tournament in early April, where six matches in seven days took a heavy toll. Manhercz was among those who stayed out, and his freshness showed. The same can be said for his fellow Hungarians, Daniel Angyal and Gergo Zalanki. Both played crucial roles in Piraeus, where Olympiacos needed a big performance against Novi Beograd. They combined for five of the Greeks’ last seven goals, sealing an important win in a gruelling contest. Roger Tahull’s display was equally influential in CNAB’s dominant victory over Brescia. The experienced centre-forward, also absent from Spain’s squad in Alexandroupoli, imposed himself physically, drawing exclusions and adding two excellent goals as Barceloneta cruised to a commanding win. 3. Talking about CNAB, the Spaniards have officially become the first team to secure a place in the Final Four. They remain the only side in the quarter-final stage with a perfect record, claiming their fourth win in emphatic fashion. Their 11-goal demolition of Brescia stands as the most dominant result so far – especially notable in a phase where margins are typically much tighter and most matches turn into nail-biters. Until now, the biggest win had been Fradi’s nine-goal victory over Hannover. Even last season, double-digit margins were rare at this stage, usually appearing only when already-eliminated teams began to fade – like Jadran Split’s heavy 6-18 home loss to Marseille. What makes this result even more striking is Brescia’s recent form. They had reignited their campaign with an impressive win over Novi Beograd on Day 3, only to collapse in Barceloneta in the very next round. 4. Luck hasn’t been on Novi Beograd’s side. The Serbs opened this stage with a magnificent win over Olympiacos, only to face a brutal stretch of three consecutive away matches. First came a visit to Barceloneta, where they delivered a brilliant, toe-to-toe performance. The score was locked at 16-16 with 2:37 remaining, but the Spaniards found an extra gear and rattled off the final three goals. Next was Brescia. The Italians were excellent, yet still couldn’t put the Serbs away. NBG kept fighting back despite trailing by five in the third and still being four down early in the fourth. With 3:15 left, it was 12-11, and soon after Novi had a five-on-four chance – but missed it and suffered another narrow defeat. This week brought a rematch with Olympiacos. Once again, the Greeks looked sharper early, building a three-goal lead after eight minutes. But the Serbs clawed their way back, turning it into another intense back-and-forth battle. In the end, they had a man-up opportunity to force a draw – only to hit the post and walk away empty-handed for the third straight time. That run of heartbreaks may well end their impressive streak of four consecutive Final Four appearances, including three trips to the final (all ending in silver). There’s still a path forward – Novi holds the tie-breaker over the Greeks – but qualification is no longer in their hands. 5. Hannover have done it again. The Germans entered the group stage as clear underdogs,

Barceloneta became the first team to secure their spot in the Final 4 as they demolished Brescia to keep their perfect record in the Champions League Quarter Final Stage. Earlier, Olympiacos took a huge step towards Malta as they downed Novi Beograd in a tremendous 31-goal battle. 2025/26 Champions League MenQuarterfinals Stage, Day 4Wednesday 22 April Group A Olympiacos SFP (GRE) 16-15 VK Novi Beograd Tehnomanija (SRB) Zodiac CNAB (ESP) 17-6 AN Brescia (ITA) Standings: 1. CNAB 12pts, 2. Olympiacos 6pts, 3. Brescia 3pts, 3. NBG 3pts Olympiacos SFP (GRE) 16-15 VK Novi Beograd Tehnomanija (SRB) (6-3, 3-4, 4-5, 3-3) Olympiacos won a thriller despite some heroic efforts from Novi Beograd. An early surge gave the Greeks a three-goal lead (5-2), forcing the Serbs into a chasing game, and they managed to maintain the distance in the following periods – the Serbs’ only chance to tie the match came in their very last possession, but the post denied them and the hosts secured three very crucial points. Though Novi scored first, the Greeks equalised right away and then denied the Serbs in back-to-back man-ups. A bit later Ioannis Fountoulis netted another extra, but a fine drive from Nikola Lukic was good enough to make it 2-2. Olympiacos kept pushing and they not only earned the exclusions, mostly – and not surprisingly – in the centre position, but also converted them with astonishing precision. They were 5-for-5 in six-on-five in the first period, plus buried a penalty, while only Lukic could add another one at the other end, so the hosts led 6-3 after eight minutes. Lukic hit his third right away in the second period to kick off NBG’s chasing game and even though they missed their extra, Stefan Pjesivac hit a great one from the centre for 6-5. Something similar happened at the other end – a missed extra, followed by a brilliant centre shot by Dimitrios Nikolaidis. Olympiacos then missed a six-on-five, while the Serbs forced a penalty during their man-up and Vasilje Martinovic buried it. A fine feed to the 2m and an easy put-away from Ioannis Alafragkis restored the two-goal gap and they maintained it till half-time, as Aleksa Ukropina converted an extra, but at the other end captain Konstantinos Genidounias buried a penalty for 9-7, 47 seconds from time. The trend continued in the third. Again, the Serbs drew first blood, Martinovic hammered in their first extra, but the Greeks replied quickly, with Konstantinos Kakaris hitting another one from the centre. The pattern never changed – Olympiacos couldn’t go up by three, but NBG were unable to equalise either, as it was an absolutely balanced contest in this period. Either the offences performed really well, as in the first four minutes, or the defences did a tremendous job during a 2:15 scoreless stretch. Then, with 1:53 to go, Vasilje Martinovic’s one-timer halved the gap once more, then the visitors killed an extra but a missed shot at the other end gave room for a counter and Daniel Angyal completed a hat-trick – after putting away two extras from the post, he finished off the action to make it 13-11, 45 seconds from time. Still, it was enough time for NBG to cut the deficit back to a single goal as they could also set up Pjesivac in front of goal. They had another six-on-five early in the fourth, but Panagiotis Tzortzatos came up with a save while Ioannis Fountoulis doubled the lead in the Greeks’ next possession by firing in an extra from the back. The next six-on-fives also ended in goals at both ends, then Luka Gladovic scored an outstanding action goal from the right wing as he outplayed his defender for 15-14. Nikolaidis’ centre shot would have been a worthy reply, but the frame of the goal denied him, and the following actions were also well handled by the defences. Three minutes went scoreless then the hosts forced an extra and Gergo Zalanki’s lethal left arm did the damage, just like in the previous one. NBG responded immediately, Martinovic hit his fourth, also from a man-up, to make it 16-15 with 1:36 remaining. The Greeks had a match ball, a six-on-five after a time-out, but the Serbs defended really well, made a steal and with 41 seconds on the clock, they also earned an exclusion. Still, the time-out didn’t help as they were unable to outplay the home defenders – they managed a shot, but definitely not from the best angle, and it was no wonder Milos Cuk’s effort hit the post and the Greeks ran down the remaining time to take an enormous step towards the Final 4. Zodiac CNAB (ESP) 17-6 AN Brescia (ITA) (5-2, 3-0, 4-2, 5-2) Brescia may have opened the scoring inside 36 seconds, but next came CNAB with three goals in a row to set the tone for this clash. Vincenzo Dolce pulled one back from an extra, but Vince Vigvari also converted a six-on-five and, despite missing the next two, a magnificent lob from Gonzalo Echenique expanded the gap to three goals, 55 seconds from time. Vigvari’s 6m blast kicked off the second quarter while Brescia, already down by four, were unable to create clean chances, not even in their six-on-fives. The home defence’s intensity was simply astonishing, Unai Aguirre had comfortable saves as the shots came under tremendous pressure. Midway through the period, Bernat Sanahuja converted an extra and with 1:41 on the clock, Vigvari buried a penalty for 8-2. The Italians missed a third six-on-five, so they were shut out for the entire period. Their next goal came early in the third to halt their scoreless run after 13:19 minutes – but it was obvious that CNAB’s 5-0 run in that phase had already decided the outcome. Mateo Giri added another one 52 seconds later for 8-4, but the hosts didn’t let the Italians gain more ground. Their response was immediate and emphatic, back-to-back man-up goals from Alberto Munarriz and Unai Biel in

FTC-Telekom came up big to beat Pro Recco in a 30-goal epic, taking revenge for their tough home loss on Day 1 in the Champions League Quarter Final Stage. Waspo 98 Hannover also managed to upset Mladost in a thriller to gain their first points in the group, a result which also ruined the Croats’ slim hopes of reaching the finals – as the six-point advantage of the two giants with just two rounds to go looks more than enough for them to progress. 2025/26 Champions League MenQuarter Final Stage, Day 4Tuesday 21 April Group B Pro Recco (ITA) 14-16 FTC-Telekom (HUN)Waspo 98 Hannover (GER) 15-14 Mladost Zagreb (CRO) Standings: 1. Recco 9pts, 1. FTC 9pts, 3. Mladost 3pts, 3. Hannover 3pts Pro Recco (ITA) 14-16 FTC-Telekom (HUN) (4-6, 0-4, 6-3, 4-3) Fradi fielded three junior players as Dusan Mandic, Akos Nagy and Vendel Vigvari were all sidelined with injuries – their coach Balazs Nyeki eased the pressure on his team by stating beforehand that this match would not be the most important in the common history of Fradi and Recco. How the Hungarians played in the first half told a very different story. It was Fradi at its best, a flawless performance from the title-holders, who stormed to a 4-10 lead by half-time. It’s hard to recall any recent match where Recco were blown away in such devastating fashion. Krisztian Manhercz hit five goals, four right away in the first quarter where Fradi were 6-for-6 in six-on-five. On the contrary, Recco missed four, still they kept up as Luke Pavillard, then Max Irving fired two in from the perimeter and Alvaro Granados also buried a penalty – but the Magyars led 4-6 after eight minutes. The more stunning scenes came in the second period. Though Fradi missed their first extra, they also killed one and then Bence Haverkampf, one of the 20-year-olds, hit his second from the following extra (he spent the previous season in Recco on a lease…) and since the Italians were unable to create real chances in the next two six-on-fives, Edoardo di Somma’s incredible backhand finish in Fradi’s man-up extended the gap to four goals. There were more lows in Recco’s conversion rate, and Soma Vogel also produced his trademark penalty save, this time stopping Granados’ shot, while Zsombor Vismeg sent the ball home from the 2m line. Granados was soon fouled out as he didn’t realise his second exclusion and stayed in the water for a third major and a penalty. Manhercz buried it and by half-time, Fradi were on course not only to avenge the 9-13 defeat in Budapest, but also to take over the top spot from their rivals. Five minutes were enough for the home side to regain some composure – they had lost the second period 0-4 – and with some highly aggressive defending, steals and ensuing counters they halved the gap in three minutes. Marton Vamos halted their run with a pinpoint blast, and that somewhat killed Recco’s momentum as they missed their next two man-ups, though the Magyars also wasted two in this phase. Recco’s next goal came after three minutes, Francesco di Fulvio’s rocket ended up in the net, but Gergo Fekete replied with an action goal for 8-12. Szilard Jansik put away FTC’s next extra, amidst adventurous circumstances, but Giacomo Cannella also converted a six-on-four 25 seconds from time. And a loose ball, another exclusion and a perfect finish from di Fulvio brought Recco back to 10-13 in the last second of the third. Fradi killed two man-downs early in the fourth – though lost two more players with three majors, including di Somma – before Cannella finally hit a great one from distance and Recco trailed by only two with 5:21 to play. Fekete kept his calm and netted their extra, but they missed the next one and di Fulvio blasted another from action for 12-14. Recco had a man-up to come back to one, but missed it, and Fekete left no chance for Gianmarco Nicosia once more. Di Fulvio kept Recco in the game with another 6m blast with 2:27 remaining, but Fradi managed to survive the hosts’ next two possessions. When Sandro Sukno called his last time-out, only 1:11 remained on the clock. Recco forced a man-up and a lucky rebound ended in a penalty, Di Fulvio made no mistake, scoring his fifth for 14-15 and there were still 45 seconds to go. A block denied Vamos’ 6m shot and a quick flying substitution of the goalie gave the hosts at least 20 seconds to go for a seven-on-six. However, the feed to the 2m line was hunted down by the defenders and Jansik sent the ball into the empty net to beat the buzzer and seal Fradi’s great win. Though the two-goal victory might not be enough to overtake Recco, the revenge still satisfied the title-holders. Waspo 98 Hannover (GER) 15-14 Mladost Zagreb (CRO) (2-3, 3-4, 6-5, 4-2) Waspo demonstrated once more that they deserved the chance to play in the Quarter Final Stage. They brought down Mladost in a similar way to how they had done against Marseille and Sabadell – even though the favourites led for most of the time, the Germans never gave in, stayed close and held their nerve in the most heated moments to score the last three goals. Though the hosts broke the ice, the Croats quickly settled and, with some fine finishes in their man-ups, went ahead to lead 2-3 after eight minutes. Zoran Bozic equalised from a counter right away at the start of the second period, but Mladost hit back with a fine double in 57 seconds and even though Denis Strelezkij pulled one back with a penalty, Franko Lazic converted an extra and a bit later Luka Bukic finished off another counter to make it 4-7. Lukas Kueppers hit one from distance, then Mladost missed two extras in the remaining one and a half minutes, but still were up by two

Though the grand duel of 11-time winners Pro Recco and title-holders FTC is also scheduled for Day 4 in the Champions League Quarterfinal Stage, the match with the highest stakes is arguably the battle between Olympiacos and Novi Beograd. Here, the losing team will fall behind almost irreversibly in the race for the Final Four. 2025/26 Champions League MenQuarterfinals Stage, Day 4(Local times shown) Group A (Wednesday 22 April) 19:30: Olympiacos SFP (GRE) v VK Novi Beograd Tehnomanija (SRB) 20:30: Zodiac CNAB (ESP) v AN Brescia (ITA) Group B(Tuesday 21 April) 20.30: Pro Recco (ITA) v FTC-Telekom (HUN)20.30: Waspo 98 Hannover (GER) v Mladost Zagreb (CRO) Group A (Wednesday 22 April) 19:30: Olympiacos SFP (GRE) v VK Novi Beograd Tehnomanija (SRB) Head-to-head: 2-4 (1 draw) Day 1: 10-12. 2024-25: 5-8, 15-16. 2023-24: 11-13, 9-6. 2021-22: 12-9, 12-12. This contest carries the highest stakes. With three teams in the group level on three points behind CNAB, the race for the second qualifying spot couldn’t be any tighter. In this game, two of those sides face off and, even if it’s not mathematically decisive, in reality the winners’ chances of reaching the finals will receive a tremendous boost. Seven weeks ago, NBG stunned Olympiacos in Belgrade, but they then suffered back-to-back away defeats, despite showing promising moments in both Barcelona and Brescia. Now they need more of those moments to stay on course, as Olympiacos have also performed well at home but fell short in Belgrade and Barcelona. In that last encounter, conceding 20 goals to CNAB was somewhat embarrassing, and the Greeks will need to improve their defence to keep their hopes alive. “We are aware this is one of the most important matches of the year for us,” Olympiacos coach Elvis Fatovic said. “We are expecting a great opponent who beat us in the first game, but we are ready to deliver a much better performance than we did in Belgrade. “It will be very important to have a strong defence and good transition, because NBG are very, very dangerous in counterattacks and in transition, so we need to neutralise that part of their game. “At the same time, we need to speed up our playing style a bit if we want a good result. In the first game, the man-up and man-down situations did not work, especially on both sides. “Both teams were better in the man-down. So I hope we will improve that part and I am expecting a good game from our side.” Since their heavy loss to CNAB, most of the Piraeus players have been heavily involved in the World Cup Division One tournament, where they had to play six matches in seven days. NBG players went through the same experience and, unlike the Greeks – who finished the event on a high – the Serbs left empty-handed. In any case, this game is set to be both a physical test and a test of character, with whichever side in better shape likely to prevail in this crucial clash. This was mirrored by the statement of Luka Pjevancic, NBG’s big man in the centre: “Expectations for this game are the highest. We need to win the match, and then we can go to the Final Four in Malta. “Of course, after that we have two more very hard and important games. But if we talk about Olympiacos, it’s going to be a very hard game, especially in Piraeus. “They’re a very good team, most of them play for national teams. They have two great centre-forwards, that is their biggest strength. And if you want to win the game, we need to play with strong focus, good defence and take care of all details of our plan we practiced this and last week.” Similarly, Olympiacos’ veteran playmaker Ioannis Fountoulis thinks they are facing a final. “We are playing a game that is clearly a final for us. If we want to get closer to the Final Four, we must win this match at all costs. “Novi are a very strong team with great quality, and it certainly won’t be easy, but we are playing at home, and we must impose our own game and our own rhythm here. “We need to show up with a lot of energy, passion, and concentration on our plan, and combined with the support of our fans, I am confident we can succeed and secure a great victory.” Group A (Wednesday 22 April) 20:30: Zodiac CNAB (ESP) v AN Brescia (ITA) Head-to-head: 8-6 (2 draws) Day 1: 13-11. 2023-24: 12-8, 12-5. 2021-22: 12-14, 12-12. 2020-21: 8-6, 10-9, 7-13 (bronze). 2018-19: 8-8, 8-14. 2017-18: 5-6, 5-7. 2014-15: 7-7, 4-12. 2013-14: 6-4 (quarter-final). 2012-13: 7-5, 9-7. Barceloneta can resume their quest for the Final Four from a very comfortable position. Holding a six-point advantage over the rest at the halfway mark is a rare scenario, and beating Brescia would secure their place in the endgame straight away. With CNAB unbeaten at home, they have a strong chance to seal another appearance in the finals. They managed to beat the Italians on the opening day, however, Brescia have already shown in the group stage that they can never be written off. Title-holders FTC also defeated them in Brescia, but Sandro Bovo’s side responded in Budapest with a shootout win, having dominated much of the regular time as well. At the same time, the home players are fresh from winning the World Cup Division One tournament with the Spanish team – an undoubtedly uplifting experience, though it may also have drained some of their reserves. CNAB’s coach Fran Fernandez is aware of the challenges. “After securing three wins in three games, we now approach our first ‘match point’ to secure a spot in the Final Four. “We’ve reached this stage of the competition unbeaten. But it’s not the start that counts – it’s how it ends. “The only way to give meaning to what we’ve achieved is by playing good water polo that allows us

1. Barceloneta were arguably the biggest winners in the third round of the Champions League Quarterfinal Stage. Apart from blowing away arch-rivals Olympiacos at home, Brescia’s win over Novi Beograd set up the best possible scenario for the Spaniards. While they landed their third straight win, the other three teams all stand with three points, securing a six-point advantage for CNAB and paving their way to Malta. In fact, the Catalans did a lot to achieve that. Beating NBG and Olympiacos within a week was a tremendous feat, even if both victories came at home. These matches were a true testament to CNAB’s offensive power, as they hit 19 against the Serbs and even reached the 20-goal barrier against the Greeks. Though their defence looked a bit shaky, especially in the game against Novi, which stood at 16-16 before a great 3-0 rush in the last minutes decided the outcome. Their Hungarian winger Vince Vigvari was on fire, scoring three of the last four goals on Day 2 and hitting a career-high seven Champions League goals in the big match with Olympiacos. In fact, CNAB’s only loss this season across all competitions came on Day 2 of the initial Group Stage, when they fell to Marseille at home – since then, they have only recorded wins. 2. The other team with a perfect record in the Quarterfinal Stage so far is Pro Recco, not surprisingly. Though Ferencvaros beat them in the Super Cup Final in early October, Recco have recorded only wins ever since. The Italian giants are now 31-0 across all competitions, including a 9/9 run in the Champions League. In the meantime, they took revenge on Fradi on the opening day of the Quarterfinal Stage, though the last two tests, in seemingly less challenging matches, proved a bit harder to tick off. While Recco were flying high in the first half at home against Mladost, in the end they won by three – though the win had never been in danger. In Hannover, their defence failed to click in the first half, yet they still managed to lead 8-10 against Waspo. Then they geared up to secure all three points and are now well set to return to Malta after being absent last year, with two home games in hand in the second half of this stage. 3. The third team that took a huge step in this rare two-rounds-in-a-week phase of the Champions League was Ferencvaros. While this had been a goes-without-saying scenario in the previous two seasons, this time their home loss to Recco put them under some pressure, especially as they faced back-to-back away matches in the following rounds. They passed this test with flying colours, worthy of the title-holders. Both in Hannover and in Zagreb, Fradi did not look vulnerable at any stage of the matches. While this was expected in Waspo’s home, their next trip to Zagreb, where Mladost had been waiting for the chance to hunt them down in their fearsome home pool, turned out to be another masterpiece. The Croats had a brilliant unbeaten home run in the Champions League, winning 6/6 before FTC’s appearance, but it was quickly put under threat as Fradi stormed to a 0-4 lead and were 4-10 up by half-time. As their coach Balazs Nyeki said, facing man-down situations on a constant basis was something they had been prepared for; still, it drained a lot of their energy in the first half, which somewhat explained why they conceded six goals in the third. Still, the fourth saw another power demonstration as they shut out Mladost in the last quarter, not only to secure three crucial points but also to win by five goals (still without the injured Dusan Mandic) – a strong message to the others that the Magyars are back at the top of their game. 4. Brescia have always been famous for delivering an upset or two, and they just did it again. After clinching a shootout win over FTC in Budapest last December in the Group Stage, they now brought down Novi Beograd, and the Italians sit in the middle of a three-way tie with Olympiacos and the Serbs, very much in the contest for a Final Four berth. NBG, who had kicked off their Quarterfinal Stage campaign with a great win over Olympiacos, were edged out both in Barceloneta and in Brescia. Wonder-goalie Milan Glusac seemed to have run out of miracles that had been instrumental in Serbia’s European Championships gold in January (and in NBG ultimately reaching the Champions League final last season). The Serbs were on equal terms with CNAB on Day 2, only to fade in the last three minutes after 16-16, and they produced a great comeback in Brescia after falling behind by five goals deep into the third, then by four early in the fourth – but they left the pool empty-handed once more. Their best finisher, Milos Cuk, was 0 for 5 in six-on-five, something this team couldn’t really counterbalance. In contrast, Brescia came up with another great team effort, killing 14 of the 20 man-downs, and they can approach the World Cup break (and Easter) with a fact they can be extremely proud of – they have now beaten both Champions League finalists from last season. 5. Despite minor hiccups, Olympiacos delivered convincing performances in the Group Stage and finished top of a tough group featuring Mladost, Radnicki and Vasas, with just one loss. However, question marks have begun to pop up once more, just like last season. Losing in Belgrade and in Barceloneta is something that can happen to any team, but for Olympiacos, failing to gain anything from those two matches is hard to accept. Even harder was to see how the Greeks were dismantled by Barceloneta on Day 3, even without their captain Konstantinos Genidounias, who had been sidelined for this game. Conceding 20 goals in a Champions League match is not the level of Olympiacos – being beaten by seven

Title-holders FTC Telekom Waterpolo showed great strength and character in Zagreb on Day 3 of the Champions League Quarterfinals Stage, as they defeated HAVK Mladost to secure a crucial away win and end the Croats’ six-match unbeaten home run. Pro Recco maintained their perfect record in the competition so far this season, overcoming first-half defensive struggles in Hannover before pulling away for another convincing victory. 2025/26 Champions League MenQuarterfinals Stage, Day 3 Group B (Wednesday 1 April) Waspo 98 Hannover (GER) 14-20 Pro Recco (ITA) HAVK Mladost (CRO) 10-15 FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN) Standings: 1. Pro Recco 9pts, 2. FTC 6pts, 3. Mladost 3pts, 4. Hannover 0pts Waspo 98 Hannover (GER) 14-20 Pro Recco (ITA) (2-3, 6-7, 2-5, 4-5) Recco had to work hard in Hannover to overcome the Germans, who fought bravely and managed to break through the Italian defence in the first half. However, Recco’s physical superiority prevailed after the long break, as they pulled away to claim their third win in the group. Neither side allowed the other much space, and the opening quarter already featured nine exclusions. The Italians converted three, two through Max Irving, while the hosts kept pace with two action goals despite missing four six-on-fives. Lukas Kueppers levelled the score early in the second period (3-3), but Recco responded with a 0-3 run. Matteo Iocchi Gratta struck twice on man-up, while Alvaro Granados added a penalty in between for 3-6. With four minutes remaining, the game turned into an offensive exchange, with almost every possession ending in a goal – nine in total before half-time. Francesco di Fulvio converted a penalty with 22 seconds left, and although Hannover earned a man-up with just 0:03 to play, Zoran Bozic still managed to score, leaving it unexpectedly close at 8-10 at the turnaround. In the third, Recco returned determined to tighten their defence – and succeeded. At the same time, they remained efficient in attack: Lukas Durik netted from the centre, and Iocchi Gratta took advantage during a six-on-five to double the lead. Niclas Schipper replied on a man-up for Waspo, but three more goals followed for the Italians – a counter by Iocchi Gratta, an action goal from Rino Buric after a fading extra, and a fine finish from Luke Pavillard to make it 9-15. Recco effectively decided the outcome in this period. Despite a late goal from Lazar Vukicevic, the third quarter underlined the Italians’ quality: after conceding 10 goals in the first half, including six in the second period, they restricted the Germans to just two while scoring five. Recco’s defensive focus continued into the final quarter, as they added three more goals while allowing just one, extending the lead to 11-18. Their grip loosened slightly in the closing minutes, allowing Hannover to score three more – as many as in the previous 13 minutes – but Recco still reached the 20-goal mark thanks to their top scorers, Iocchi Gratta with six goals and Irving with four. It was another strong performance from the group leaders, who maintained their perfect Champions League record so far this season – nine wins from nine played. Their next challenge is another huge clash with Fradi, this time in Liguria, following the World Cup break. HAVK Mladost (CRO) 10-15 FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN) (1-5, 3-5, 6-3, 0-2) FTC-Telekom once more proved their tremendous quality as they halted Mladost’s unbeaten home run with a huge win. Fradi produced a brilliant first half and, even though the Croats fought back in the third, the Magyars shut them out in the entire fourth period to secure three crucial points in the hunt for the Final Four berths. Losing to Recco in the opening round had put Ferencvaros under pressure, and they faced their toughest challenge on Day 3 as they visited the fearsome Mladost pool, where six teams had fallen in the Champions League this season. Fradi were aware their man-down defence would be key – and they killed Mladost’s first four six-on-fives while converting their first two, through Edoardo di Somma and Stylianos Argyropoulos. Shortly after, still inside the first three minutes, Krisztian Manhercz finished off a counter, prompting a time-out from the home bench. Soon after, Gergo Fekete added another from 6m to complete the title-holders’ 0-4 dream start. Luka Bukic finally converted the hosts’ fifth man-up to put Mladost on the scoreboard, but Vendel Vigvari replied from FTC’s next extra – they were 3-3 at that point. Soma Vogel added another save before the break in a man-down, so FTC led 1-5 after eight minutes. Manhercz earned a penalty and converted it for 1-6, then Mladost enjoyed a better spell and scored twice within a minute. However, Di Somma responded immediately, and within 30 seconds Manhercz finished another counter to restore the five-goal gap. Vogel also saved a penalty, while Bukic scored after a corner during the remaining man-up. Still, Fradi continued to roll, as Marton Vamos and Argyropoulos converted further six-on-fives to take a 4-10 lead at half-time. However bleak the overall picture looked, Mladost refused to give in and launched a strong comeback. In three minutes, they produced a 3-0 surge with two extras and a counter. After another killed man-down, they had a possession to come closer, but a steal denied them, and Vamos restored some calm to the FTC side with a powerful shot. The Hungarians defended well in the next man-down, and Vigvari added an action goal from the wing, making it 7-12 with 3:06 to go. Mladost kept pushing, as Marko Radulovic netted from a six-on-five, then Mauro Cubranic made a key stop in a man-down, and Marko Radulovic struck again from 6m for 9-12. Fradi struggled for a spell, missing another six-on-five (after converting their first five, they missed the next five), but retained possession and Szilard Jansik scored a crucial goal. Josip Vrlic answered from close range, yet Mladost still trailed 10-13 with eight minutes remaining. The Croats had a promising third period with six goals, but in