2025/26 Euro Cup Men
Group Stage, Day 5
Thursday 4 December

Group A

VK Jug AO (CRO) 19-10 ASC Duisburg (GER)
VK Solaris Sibenik (CRO) 15-18 CN Terrassa (ESP)

Standings: 1. Jug 15pts,2. Terrassa 9pts,3. Solaris 3pts,3. Duisburg 3pts

Group B

Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) 12-15 Szolnoki Dozsa Praktiker (HUN)
CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) 10-19 CN Barcelona (ESP)

Standings: 1. Barcelona 12pts,1. Szolnok 12pts,3. Trieste 6pts,4. Dinamo 0pts

Group C

Vouliagmeni NC (GRE) 19-9 PVK Buducnost Podgorica (MNE)
Panathinaikos AC (GRE) 17-17 (4-1P) BVSC Manna ABC (HUN)

Standings: 1. Vouliagmeni 11pts, 2. BVSC 10pts, 3. Panathinaikos 9pts, 4. Buducnost 0pts

Group D

Spandau 04 Berlin (GER) 13-10 CSA Steaua Bucharest (ROU)
VK Sabac Elixir (SRB) 13-9 RN Savona (ITA)

Standings: 1. Savona 12pts, 1. Sabac 12pts, 3. Spandau 6pts, 4. Steaua 0pts

Group A

Standings: 1. Jug 15pts, 2. Terrassa 9pts, 3. Solaris 3pts, 3. Duisburg 3pts

VK Jug AO (CRO) 19-10 ASC Duisburg (GER)

VK Jug AO roared to their fifth successive victory with a commanding performance against ASC Duisburg, even without two of their star names, Maro Jokovic and Andro Buslje.

The Germans arrived looking to keep their faint hopes of qualification alive, but they were soon in trouble after slipping 7-3 behind by the first break.

Their task only got harder in the second quarter, as the 2024 champions demonstrated their superiority, extending their lead to eight (12-4) just before half-time.

Sascha Seifert pulled one back six seconds before the buzzer, but they needed much more than that to trouble the hosts.

The Croatians could afford to ease up in the second half, but still managed to stretch their lead to nine (19-10) by the last buzzer.

Marko Zuvela was in fine form for Jug, hitting six goals, while Seifert fired in four for Duisburg, who were eliminated following the later result…

VK Solaris Sibenik (CRO) 15-18 CN Terrassa (ESP)

CN Terrassa performed magnificently away at VK Solaris Sibenik, seizing their chance to secure a place in the Eight Finals on the penultimate day of the group stage.

The result ended Solaris’ qualification hopes, with the hosts left frustrated after surrendering a 5-3 lead in the second quarter and handing the initiative to the Spaniards.

After trailing 6-5, Terrassa scored three without reply to move 6-8 ahead and the visitors showed their class by holding the lead until the final buzzer.

Solaris got back to within one on four occasions (7-8, 10-11, 11-12, and 12-13 late in the third), but could never find an equaliser.

When Terrassa’s Lars Ten Broek struck twice early in the fourth for 13-16, Solaris edged closer to elimination, and Jordi Chico’s finish for 14-18 with 3:39 remaining effectively sealed the contest.

Group B

Standings: 1. Barcelona 12pts, 1. Szolnok 12pts, 3. Trieste 6pts, 4. Dinamo 0pts

Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) 12-15 Szolnoki Dozsa Praktiker (HUN)

Szolnoki Dozsa Praktiker completed the double over Pallanuoto Trieste with an outstanding away performance that slammed the door on the Italians’ qualification hopes.

Trieste started brightly, racing into a 2-0 lead, but Szolnok hit back to level at 4-4 by the first break and then moved ahead (6-7) with 2:31 remaining in the half.

The hosts quickly equalised, but from that point, Szolnok made life extremely difficult for them, putting together a decisive 0-5 run that swung the game firmly in their favour.

Trieste blew four man-ups in a row, and the Hungarians punished them, stretching the gap to 7-12.

The Italians responded with the final three goals of the third quarter to reduce the deficit to two and give themselves hope heading into the final period (10-12).

Krisztian Bedo halted Trieste’s momentum, though, by scoring first in the fourth, and Szolnok’s defence held firm to close out the win and secure their progression.

On the final day in February – after the European Championships break – the Hungarians will travel to Barcelona for a showdown that will decide the group winner.

CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) 10-19 CN Barcelona (ESP)

Andrei Iosep’s CN Barcelona secured their fourth consecutive Euro Cup victory, booking their place in the Eight Finals with a game to spare.

The Spaniards controlled the match from start to finish against CS Dinamo Bucuresti, winning all four quarters and steadily pulling further ahead as the contest unfolded.

After seven minutes, Barcelona were already on track at 1-4, and they maintained a three-goal lead at half-time (5-8).

Some sharp shooting in the third saw them double their advantage (8-14), and a late 0-5 surge in the fourth added real gloss to another dominant display.

Barcelona once again shared the goals across their squad, with four players hitting hat-tricks – Taiyo Watanabe, Abel Ramon, Mart van der Weijden and Pol Daura.

Group C

Standings: 1. Vouliagmeni 11pts, 2. BVSC 10pts, 3. Panathinaikos 9pts, 4. Buducnost 0pts

Vouliagmeni NC (GRE) 19-9 PVK Buducnost Podgorica (MNE)

As expected, Vouliagmeni NC piled the pressure on their domestic rivals Panathinaikos AC with a 19-9 victory over winless PVK Buducnost Podgorica in Group C’s lunchtime game.

The Montenegrins’ fifth successive defeat – and third by 10 goals or more – was an even affair for the first two quarters, with the Buducnost youngsters again showing their future potential as they trailed by only one (7-6) at half-time.

The third and fourth quarters were a different story, with Vouliagmeni’s defence suffocating their tiring opponents, allowing the visitors to score only three more goals, while their attack hit 12 at the other end.

Charalampos Troulos was the hosts’ standout performer, top-scoring with six, and after claiming all three points, all Vouliagmeni could do was wait for the evening’s clash to see if it was enough to avoid a winner-takes-all showdown with Panathinaikos on the final day…

Panathinaikos AC (GRE) 17-17 (4-1P) BVSC Manna ABC (HUN)

Panathinaikos – fully aware of Vouliagmeni’s earlier victory – needed at least a point against BVSC Manna ABC to stay in contention ahead of their trip to face their domestic rivals on Day 6.

In the end, they got two after winning another Group C shootout, moving them three points behind leaders Vouliagmeni, who beat them on penalties on Day 3.

The clash between Panathinaikos and BVSC was neck-and-neck throughout. Neither side could pull away, with the lead changing hands several times as the packed arena was treated to a thrilling spectacle.

After 16-14 midway through the fourth, the hosts looked in trouble, as a Mor Benedek strike, then two goals from Balint Ekler edged BVSC 16-17 ahead, much to the frustration of the home bench.

The Greeks responded by forcing a man-up with just 34 seconds remaining.

After Nikolaos Papanikolaou drew two defenders with a series of fakes, he fed Konstantinos Gkiouvetsis on the perimeter, who unleashed a rocket into the left corner to take the game to penalties.

Panathinaikos were perfect with their shots, scoring all four attempts, while BVSC’s Erik Csacsovszky hit the post and USA keeper Adrian Weinberg blocked Ekler’s effort, setting up a dramatic final day of action.

“BVSC showed a lot of energy and were a very competitive opponent,” said Panathinaikos coach Dimitrios Mazis. “We had the opportunity to win the match at some crucial points; however, we still won on penalties.

“Now, we want a victory in the last matchday in Vouliagmeni, and we have time to prepare as it will take place after the national team’s obligations.”

“It was a really crazy match,” added BVSC coach Daniel Varga. “It was nerve-wracking, and although we ultimately lost on penalties, we still earned a valuable point. The draw was important for us, and we will now look to seal qualification in our last matchday against Buducnost.”

Group D

Standings: 1. Savona 12pts,2. Sabac 12pts,3. Spandau 6pts,4. Steaua 0pts

Spandau 04 Berlin (GER) 13-10 CSA Steaua Bucharest (ROU)

Spandau 04 had second place in Group D firmly in their sights after edging out CSA Steaua Bucharest 13-10 in a fiercely contested clash in Berlin – though their mood shifted later when the result from Serbia came through.

After a tight 4-4 opening quarter, the Germans opened the second with three unanswered goals, and that 3-0 surge ultimately proved decisive. Steaua never came closer than two for the remainder of the match, despite pushing hard throughout.

It marked the Romanians’ fifth straight defeat, and they will be wondering how they remain without a single point. All five losses have been by three goals or fewer – and this was actually their heaviest defeat of the campaign, following two one-goal losses and two by two.

Spandau’s victory moved them to within three points of second-placed VK Sabac Elixir, which set up a potential final-day decider – but the Serbians sank Savona to move out of sight.

VK Sabac Elixir (SRB) 13-9 RN Savona (ITA)

VK Sabac Elixir entered this clash knowing a win against Savona would secure qualification and remove the prospect of a winner-takes-all showdown with Spandau on the final day in Berlin.

With Savona already guaranteed to advance, the Serbians had the extra motivation, and it showed in the early exchanges as they stormed into a 4-1 lead.

The Italians responded after the first break, hitting the next three goals to level, but Aleksander Kovacevic and Andrej Barac struck in the final two minutes of the half to edge Sabac back in front (6-4).

A fiery third quarter – in which Sabac coach Nemanja Licanin was yellow carded, and assistant Miroslav Mandic red carded – saw the hosts seize control despite the drama in their corner.

After 7-6, a 4-0 blast from the Serbians, including two goals from Nemanja Stanojevic, took the game away from Savona.

Sabac controlled the closing stages, drawing the fourth quarter 2-2, to take the three points and move level on points with the Italians at the top of the group.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics