Despite earning away draws in the first legs, BVSC Manna ABC and Pallanuoto Trieste failed to capitalise on home advantage in Saturday’s return fixtures, as EPlus CN Catalunya totally outclassed the Hungarians in Budapest, while Zodiac CNAB ended the Italians’ hopes of reaching a third successive Euro Cup final. With both Spanish teams set to battle for the title for the first time, a new name will be etched onto the famous trophy next month.
2025/26 Euro Cup Women
Semifinals, Leg 2
Saturday 16 May
(Aggregate scores shown)
BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) 4-11 EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) (Agg: 17-24)
Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) 13-14 Zodiac CNAB (ESP) (Agg: 25-26)
BVSC Manna ABC 4-11 EPlus CN Catalunya (1-3, 1-3, 0-1, 2-4) (Agg: 17-24)
Catalunya were the first team to book their place in the final after a defensive masterclass saw them restrict BVSC to just four goals in their home pool.
The hosts looked far from their best, with the Spaniards expertly smothering their attacks and never allowing them to build any real momentum.
It was a sensational performance from the visitors, who surrendered a 6-2 lead in the first leg, but didn’t make the same mistakes in Budapest and ran out deserved winners.
The electric atmosphere inside the arena failed to intimidate Catalunya, who started confidently and Ruth Arino fired the first warning shot, rattling the far post after finding space down the left wing.
Julia Frigola Navarro made the breakthrough, firing in from distance to put the visitors ahead, and although Pien Gorter pulled one back, Toula Falvey forced the ball over the line after it fell kindly for her following a fumbled shot, and Emmerson Houghton squeezed her effort between the post and Tunde Schmuck to put Catalunya 3-1 up.
BVSC’s Zoe Lendvay could have reduced the deficit, but her penalty crashed off the crossbar – much to Laura Aarts’s delight – leaving the gap at two at the first break.
Lendvay made up for that miss at the start of the second period, hammering in to cut the advantage to just one, but Arino and Houghton struck next to put Catalunya three ahead midway through the quarter.
When Falvey scored again from another six-on-five, with a nice high finish at the far post, the Spaniards were flying and leading by four, which caused BVSC coach Gergely Beres to call a time-out as the game was already slipping away from them.
The Hungarians immediately forced two exclusions, but failed to make either count, so the deficit remained at four at the turnaround (6-2).
In the third, BVSC’s attacking woes continued, as they missed four more six-on-fives and Catalunya – who were defending excellently – made them pay for those misses, with Lucia De La Puente sending in a fierce skip-shot from the perimeter to extend their lead to five with 2:52 remaining in the quarter.
BVSC fluffed a fifth six-on-five and continued to look unsure with their passes, while their shots were being easily picked off by the Spaniards, who led 7-2 heading into the final period.
Time was running out and it was a case of now or never for the hosts, who needed a miracle in the closing stages if they were going to pull five goals back.
Anna Mucsy offered some hope by flashing in her shot from the right wing inside a minute of the fourth, and Lendvay added another to move within three as the hosts looked to finally be building some momentum.
However, Catalunya’s European U18 champion Ona Tarrino halted BVSC’s run by arrowing in her shot from deep and punching the air in delight as she wrestled back control for her team.
Houghton’s penalty 25 seconds later was a crushing blow for the Magyars, and any hopes of a comeback faded further when Tarrino struck again, which was almost a carbon copy of her earlier effort, finishing off a slick passing move to send the Spaniards six clear (10-4) with 4:23 left on the clock.
Frigola Navarro capped a fine individual performance by scoring an eleventh for Catalunya to end the scoring.
BVSC missed two more six-on-fives, which pretty much summed up their poor evening, while the dominant Spaniards celebrated reaching the final for the first time in the club’s history.
Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) 13-14 Zodiac CNAB (ESP) (4-4, 2-3, 2-3, 5-4) (Agg: 25-26)
Pallanuoto Trieste’s dreams of reaching a third successive Euro Cup final were ended by Zodiac CNAB, who produced a brilliant performance in northern Italy.
The Spaniards took the lead at the end of the first quarter and never trailed again, and despite Trieste fighting back to level on four occasions, including midway through the fourth period, the visitors kept finding another gear and managed to finish the job.
The first semifinal may have produced only 15 goals, but the second burst into life from the opening buzzer, with eight goals scored inside the first eight minutes.
Both attacks were in full flow, with Trieste and CNAB trading blows with neither side able to establish control, leaving the scores level at the first break (4-4).
That trend continued early in the second period, as Olympic champion Paula Leiton restored CNAB’s advantage, only for Malia Allen to respond immediately and complete her hat-trick.
CNAB edged back in front through Nerea Martin, who flashed a fierce finish past Fabiana Sparano from a tight angle on the right wing.
Trieste then earned two exclusions in quick succession and made the second opportunity count, with captain Lucrezia Cergol hammering home to tie the scores once more.
However, Diaz had the final word of the half, rifling in from the top of the perimeter on extra to hand CNAB a slender 7-6 lead at the turnaround.
Diaz struck again early in the third quarter to give the Spaniards the first two-goal advantage of the contest, but it lasted just 18 seconds as Allen netted her fourth of the evening to pull the hosts back within one at 8-7.
Both sides continued to earn exclusions and, while CNAB successfully killed off Trieste’s opportunity, Itziar Martinez capitalised at the other end to restore the visitors’ two-goal cushion.
Veronica Gant then brought the home crowd back to life, smashing in a powerful effort from six metres to make it 9-8 with 3:38 remaining in the quarter, only for Alejandra Aznar to respond from their next six-on-five, skipping her finish over Sparano for 10-8.
Aznar had the chance to extend the lead further from another extra, but her shot crashed against the post with Sparano well beaten, leaving CNAB still two ahead heading into the final period.
Emma De March opened the scoring in the fourth to cut the deficit to one, but just as Trieste threatened to draw level, Aznar completed her hat-trick to restore the visitors’ two-goal advantage with 7:12 still to play.
Two minutes later, Allen had the home fans back on their feet after unleashing a thunderous long-range effort that bounced off the water and into the top corner for 11-10.
Trieste’s resilience, which had carried them to the previous two finals, surfaced again moments later as Giorgia Klatowski equalised, albeit with a huge slice of fortune as her effort deflected off a defender’s arm and looped into the far corner.
CNAB responded through Nada Mandic, who produced a moment of brilliance in the centre by holding off her marker before delicately lobbing the advancing Sparano to edge her side back in front with 4:13 remaining.
The visitors then earned another exclusion and, after a time-out and protests from Trieste coach Paolo Zizza that resulted in a yellow card, Aznar powered home to leave the Italians in serious trouble.
With time running out, Trieste started to force their efforts, while CNAB remained composed and worked another six-on-five opportunity that Cristina Nogue converted from close range to open a three-goal lead for the first time with 2:07 left on the clock.
Klatowski responded from distance to reduce the deficit to two before adding another from extra to reignite the atmosphere and set up a dramatic and tense final minute (14-13).
Aznar had a goal ruled out late on, giving Trieste one final possession to force a shootout, but CNAB’s defence stood firm, winning the ball in the centre before closing out the game to book their place in the final at the first attempt and continue their remarkable debut European campaign.
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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics
