Champions League title-holders Olympiacos left little doubt that they reign supreme in women’s club water polo as the Greeks blew away Euro Cup winners Catalunya in the most lopsided Super Cup final ever on Saturday evening in Piraeus. The Spaniards stayed close until half-time, but couldn’t keep up after the long break. It was Olympiacos’s fourth Super Cup triumph, adding to their victories in 2015, 2021 and 2022.
2026 European Aquatics Super Cup
Women’s final
Saturday 3 October, Athens
Olympiacos SFP (GRE) 18-4 EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP)
(3-1, 1-1, 7-2, 7-0)
For full game stats CLICK HERE
With Greece’s best team facing the Spanish league’s sixth-placed side, the outcome seemed somewhat inevitable – though Champions League winners Olympiacos still surpassed expectations by completely dismantling Catalunya in the second half of the Super Cup final, scoring seven goals in both the third and fourth quarters.
At the beginning, the Spanish side managed to withstand the pressure, but it was already clear they’d find it extremely hard to break down the hosts’ well-organised defence.
Catalunya’s Dutch European champion goalkeeper, Laura Aarts, also produced a series of sensational saves in the first half to keep the Spaniards within touching distance.
Olympiacos jumped to a 2-0 lead with a couple of action goals from Stefania Santa and Abby Andrews, while Catalunya missed their first three six-on-fives.
New Zealand ace Emmerson Houghton then broke the ice with Catalunya’s fourth attempt on extra to put them on the scoreboard after six minutes, but the reply came immediately as Santa found the net from a woman-up.
The second period was more balanced. Aarts and Catalunya’s defence produced some heroic efforts to prevent the Greeks from extending their lead after Vasiliki Plevritou’s early action goal.
Marina Pineda then scored a fine goal from the centre with 33 seconds remaining to set the half-time score at 4-2.
However, two action goals in 44 seconds early in the third, from Rafaela Saltamanika and Maria Myriokefalitaki, rocked the Spaniards.
Soon afterwards, Kata Hajdu made up for her earlier missed penalty with a fine finish from extra to make it 7-2 midway through the third.
A time-out did little to help Catalunya.
Houghton pulled one back, but the ruthless Greeks responded fiercely, scoring three goals in succession in just 74 seconds.
Houghton’s buzzer-beater therefore did little to dampen the spirits of the Olympiacos fans, who packed the stands and created the usual electrifying atmosphere.
The fourth quarter underlined the gulf between the two sides.
Catalunya ran out of steam completely, while the Greeks showed no sign of slowing down in attack or loosening their grip in defence.
The result was a 7-0 demolition in the final eight minutes.
Olympiacos cruised to their fourth Super Cup title. They lost their first final as LEN Trophy winners in 2014 but have never failed to lift the Super Cup trophy when entering the final as Champions League title-holders.
In fact, this was their most emphatic victory yet and, overall, the most lopsided final ever.
Sabadell had won by the biggest margin two years ago, beating Padova 19-7, but the Greeks surpassed that mark with their outstanding second-half performance.
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Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics