VK Jug AO – the 2024 Euro Cup champions – and RN Savona – the 2023 Euro Cup runners-up – both booked their tickets to the Eight Finals on Thursday night with two games to spare. Three late away goals for Jug finally ended Terrassa’s resistance, while Savona outclassed Spandau 04 Berlin with a dominant home display. Elsewhere, Vouliagmeni NC lost an epic shootout with BVSC in Budapest – it was the Greeks’ fifth Euro Cup clash this season that has gone to penalties.

2025/26 Euro Cup Men
Group Stage, Day 4
Thursday 20 November

Group A

ASC Duisburg (GER) 14-13 VK Solaris Sibenik (CRO)
CN Terrassa (ESP) 12-15 VK Jug AO (CRO)

Standings: 1. Jug 12pts, 2. Terrassa 6pts, 3. Solaris 3pts, 3. Duisburg 3pts

Group B

CN Barcelona (ESP) 19-12 Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA)
Szolnoki Dozsa Praktiker (HUN) 16-9 CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU)

Standings: 1. Barcelona 9pts, 2. Szolnok 9pts, 3. Trieste 6pts, 4. Dinamo 0pts

Group C

BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) 13-13 (10-9P) Vouliagmeni NC (GRE)
PVK Buducnost Podgorica (MNE) 9-14 Panathinaikos AC (GRE)

Standings: 1. BVSC 9pts, 2. Vouliagmeni 8pts, 3. Panathinaikos 7pts, 4. Buducnost 0pts

Group D

CSA Steaua Bucharest (ROU) 7-8 VK Sabac Elixir (SRB)
RN Savona (ITA) 17-11 Spandau 04 Berlin (GER)

Standings: 1. Savona 12pts, 2. Sabac 9pts, 3. Spandau 3pts, 4. Steaua 0pts

Group A

ASC Duisburg (GER) 14-13 VK Solaris Sibenik (CRO)

Duisburg recovered from a slow start to record their first Group Stage win and keep their slim hopes of progressing alive.

After three straight losses, the Germans – inspired by their home fans – knew another defeat meant elimination, so they threw everything at Solaris on Thursday night.

The Croatians got off to the perfect start, leading 0-3 inside the first two minutes, but Duisburg fought back immediately and refused to let their opponents get out of sight.

Duisburg reduced the deficit to one early in the second (5-6) and were just two behind at half-time (6-8).

The tide fully turned in the third as Duisburg’s outstanding defence held Solaris scoreless, while their attack hit three to move ahead 9-8.

Solaris continued to falter up front and Duisburg punished them further, scoring three more without reply at the start of the fourth (12-8).

This 6-0 run proved decisive, as Solaris’ late rally closed the gap to 14-13 – their final goal came with just 12 seconds on the clock, which didn’t leave enough time to force a shootout.

CN Terrassa (ESP) 12-15 VK Jug AO (CRO)

VK Jug AO produced a strong 0-3 finish against CN Terrassa to earn a fourth straight victory and confirm their place in the Eight Finals.

The Spaniards kept up with the Croatians for almost 30 minutes, even leading 6-5 at half-time, and the scores were level at 10-10 heading into the fourth quarter.

Twice Jug nudged themselves in front (at 10-11 and 11-12) and twice Terrassa were able to level (the last time at 12-12 with 2:42 remaining), but their efforts eventually caught up with them, as late strikes from Marko Zuvela, Filip Krzic and Petar Kulas in the final minutes tipped the game in the Croatians’ favour.

Captain/talisman Maro Jokovic and Marko Zuvela led the way for the visitors, firing in four goals each.

Group B

CN Barcelona (ESP) 19-12 Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA)

CN Barcelona coach Andrei Iosep got the result he desired as his players made up for their 20-16 opening-day away loss to Pallanuoto Trieste.

The Spaniards were forced to come from behind, though, after a sluggish start saw them 0-3 down inside the first three minutes.

At 2-5, it looked like Barcelona were in for another difficult night, but a late four-goal burst saw them edge 6-5 ahead at the first break.

Pol Goma maintained their momentum by scoring first in the second, and at 7-5, the Italians were in some real trouble.

Trieste dug deep, narrowing the gap to one twice before half-time (7-6 and 9-8), but that was as close as they got.

Barcelona’s defence held firm in the third, while their attack continued to click, and by the start of the fourth, the hosts were 15-10 ahead, powering towards a third successive victory.

In the end, Barcelona won all four quarters – the last three by two goals (6-5, 5-3, 4-2, 4-2) – with Pol Daura and captain Pol Goma top-scoring with four each.

The result pushed Trieste down to third in the table, while Barcelona and Szolnok lead the way with nine points apiece and two games remaining.

Szolnoki Dozsa Praktiker (HUN) 16-9 CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU)

Szolnok Dozsa Praktiker completed the double over CS Dinamo Bucuresti by following up their 15-16 away victory on Day 1 with a more dominant display at home (16-9). The result also extinguished the Romanians’ faint hopes of qualification.

Dinamo managed to match the hosts in the first quarter (3-3) and even led 1-3 after six minutes, but that sparked a 6-0 surge that turned the game around, and the visitors gradually faded, despite veteran Cosmin Radu’s best efforts – he finished the night with four goals.

Szolnok dominated the middle periods 10-2 (5-1, 5-1), opening up an unassailable lead (13-5) and comfortably closed the game out to keep themselves firmly in contention for a place in the Eight Finals.

Group C

BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) 13-13 (10-9P) Vouliagmeni NC (GRE)

BVSC Manna ABC’s clash with Vouliagmeni NC went the distance for the second straight meeting, with penalties once again needed to separate the two sides.

On Day 1, the Hungarians had enjoyed the brighter spells, but the Greeks levelled late on and claimed the two points by winning the shootout 9-8 after nine rounds.

This week, Vouliagmeni looked stronger in the second half, leading by three midway through the third (7-10) and by two early in the fourth (8-10), before BVSC rallied and even moved ahead when Erik Csacsovszky capped a 3-0 surge to put the hosts one up (13-12) with 2:56 remaining.

Vouliagmeni’s Nikolaos Kastrinakis quickly equalised (13-13) from a six-on-five and both teams had an extra in the final minutes to win it, but neither could capitalise, so the decision was again left to penalties.

The shootout in Athens was dramatic, but the Budapest edition surpassed it, stretching to 11 gripping rounds.

After four perfect shots each, BVSC Nika Shushiashvili saw his effort saved, which handed Vouliagmeni’s Ilias Angelopoulos the chance to win the two points, but he was denied too.

The Hungarians made no mistakes with their next six attempts, and the Greeks’ Dimitrios Chatzis was the unfortunate one, as his shot was blocked by an ecstatic Viktor Gyapjas, who was mobbed by his team-mates afterwards.

Five of Vouliagmeni’s seven Euro Cup games this season have now ended in a shootout – two in the qualifiers (Crvena Zvezda 5-6L, Trieste 6-5W) and three in the Group Stage (BVSC 9-8W, Panathinaikos 6-7W, BVSC 10-9L).

PVK Buducnost Podgorica (MNE) 9-14 Panathinaikos AC (GRE)

Panathinaikos AC arrived in Podgorica still smarting from their home defeat to domestic rivals Vouliagmeni on Day 3 and were determined to return to winning ways.

After two quarters, it was never in doubt they would be taking all three points back to Athens, as the Greeks stormed to a 2-9 half-time lead. A 0-7 rush after 1-1 did the damage, and they were even able to ease up a little in the remaining minutes.

The young Buducnost side kept fighting, though, and demonstrated their future potential by winning the second half 7-5. Veteran captain Darko Brguljan led the way for the hosts, scoring four, while 17-year-old Petar Brnovic hit three.

For Panathinaikos, Aristeidis Chalyvopoulos and Nikolaos Kopeliadis were the standout performers, firing in four each, and the result keeps them in the hunt for a place in the top two in this group.

Group D

CSA Steaua Bucharest (ROU) 7-8 VK Sabac Elixir (SRB)

CSA Steaua Bucharest crashed to a narrow fourth successive defeat on Thursday night, meaning their chances of progressing are over.

The Romanians have been competitive in all their Euro Cup outings so far, losing by two away to Sabac (11-9), by two at home to Spandau (9-11), by one at home to Savona last week (10-11) and now by one against Sabac (7-8).

It was small margins against Sabac once more that proved the difference. Steaua were leading 5-4 at half-time and looked on track for their first points when Vlad-Luca Georgescu converted a penalty to make it 6-4 early in the third.

But Sabac responded with a great show of strength, hammering in three without reply to move ahead for the first time on the night (6-7), and although Steaua levelled early in the fourth (7-7), Nemanja Stanojevic hit his second of the game to edge the Serbians back in front (7-8).

Steaua forced two six-on-fives in the last five minutes, including one with just 24 seconds remaining, but Silvian Colodrovschi’s shot was easily saved.

The win moved Sabac six points clear of third-placed Spandau, who they face in Berlin on the final day – a potentially huge clash if the Serbians lose to Savona on Day 5 and the Germans beat Steaua.

RN Savona (ITA) 17-11 Spandau 04 Berlin (GER)

RN Savona booked their ticket to the Eight Finals in emphatic fashion, after a strong start set the foundation for a comprehensive 17-11 home victory.

A 4-0 burst after 1-1 put the Italians in control within the first six minutes, and by half-time they had stretched their advantage to 9-4.

Spandau were powerless to stop the gap growing in the third, and after slipping to 11-4 midway through the penultimate quarter, the contest was all but over.

Oliver Leinweber was the key man for Savona once again, top scoring with four goals, which takes his Group Stage tally to 16 so far.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics