The semifinals of the Euro Cup Women could not be more finely poised after both first legs ended all square. Spanish representatives EPlus CN Catalunya and Zodiac CNAB failed to make home advantage count last month as BVSC Manna ABC and Pallanuoto Trieste each earned draws ahead of this weekend’s decisive second legs. Now, the runners-up from the past two seasons, Trieste, and BVSC, who are aiming to reach their first final, will hope the support of their own fans can help propel them into the gold medal game.
2025/26 Euro Cup Women
Semifinals, Leg 2
Saturday 16 May
(Local times shown & Leg 1 scores)
18:00: BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) v EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) (13-13)
20:00: Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) v Zodiac CNAB (ESP) (12-12)
18:00: BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) v EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) (13-13)
After crashing out at the semifinal stage two seasons ago to eventual winners Padova, BVSC Manna ABC are looking to erase those painful memories by beating EPlus CN Catalunya in Budapest and reaching their first-ever European final.
“I’m very optimistic and looking forward to Saturday’s match,” BVSC coach Gergely Beres told European Aquatics. “Discipline, defence and fighting for each other will be the most important things – qualities we have already managed to demonstrate this season.
“If we can show all of those attributes again, we hopefully won’t have to face too many problems. It would be fantastic if we can play in two finals this year; as I would love to see that joy again, just like the way the girls celebrated after our league semifinal win against UVSE last month.”
The first leg of their Euro Cup semi against Catalunya was an immense battle that saw the Hungarians fight back from 6-2 down late in the second quarter to level the game and make themselves slight favourites ahead of this weekend’s return fixture.
Catalunya have already written a new chapter in their club’s history by reaching the last four for the first time.
The Spaniards have gone one better than they did last season, when they fell just short against domestic rivals Tenerife in the quarters, where they lost by one goal after two closely contested legs (20-19 on aggregate).
“We were very evenly matched with BVSC in the first leg,” said Catalunya’s German star Belen Vosseberg. “Our performance showed we have the potential to reach the final, and to achieve that would mean everything to the players and the club.
“We’ve also had a lot of games in our domestic league since we last faced each other, which has helped us prepare well for this weekend’s return fixture, especially our most recent home game against Sabadell [which they only lost by two, 13-11 on Tuesday].”
20:00: Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) v Zodiac CNAB (ESP) (12-12)
Trieste know exactly what it takes to win Euro Cup semifinals after doing so in each of the past two seasons, and they are now looking to draw on that experience as they target a third successive appearance in the gold medal game.
“We’re expecting this weekend’s match to be another hard-fought one, just like the first leg,” Trieste coach Paolo Zizza told European Aquatics. “We’ve been preparing as best as we can.
“Reaching the final for the third consecutive year would be a historic achievement for our club, so we need to manage the pressure effectively.”
Since the tense draw in Spain, the Italians have been in imperious form, winning all three of their domestic A1 matches, including two impressive home victories – a 13-10 success against Padova on Tuesday night and a 12-11 win over Ekipe Orizzonte four weeks ago.
In the first leg, Trieste’s New Zealand star Morgan McDowall was the standout performer, hammering in five goals, while CNAB’s Clara Diaz shone for the Spaniards, firing in four times.
“These are the kind of games every athlete loves to play,” added Trieste captain Lucrezia Cergol. “It’s going to be a very difficult match where the smallest details will matter.
“Our opponents have many strong players that we’ll have to keep quiet if we are to progress to the final once again.”
CNAB’s journey to the last four has been something of a fairy-tale, as it’s the club’s first European campaign, and the coaches and players are eager to take one more step forward.
“We want to deliver another great performance and are very excited about the possibility of reaching the final for the first time,” said CNAB coach Chus Martin. “We want to achieve that by playing a strong, focused game.
“It will be a tough match, for sure. Trieste have reached two finals in recent seasons and they share the same goal as us. They are very strong opponents who will challenge us in many ways.”
Playing the second leg away from home makes CNAB slight underdogs, particularly with Trieste notoriously strong in their famed Bruno Bianchi pool, but the Spaniards remain determined to upset the odds.
“I think it’s going to be a really tough game,” added CNAB’s Alejandra Aznar. “It’s the first time we’ve been in this situation, but we really want to play in the final.
“Trieste are a strong side and very physical. The first game was very difficult and extremely tight, so I think playing in their pool is going to be even more difficult.”
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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics
