Panionios GSS, EPlus CN Catalunya and CN Tenerife Echeyde were the big winners on day four of the women’s Euro Cup Qualification Round. Pallanuoto Trieste also made it through despite losing at home to Italian rivals Rapallo Pallanuoto. All four sides are celebrating after grabbing the results they needed to book their highly-coveted tickets to the Quarter Finals, alongside ZV De Zaan, ANC Glyfada iRepair, III. Keruleti TVE and Ethnikos OFPF. The draw will take place on Monday 28 October at 11:00 CET.

Group A

Grand Nancy (FRA) 4-13 Digi Eger (HUN)
ANC Glyfada iRepair (GRE) 6-9 Panionios GSS (GRE)

Standings: 1. ANC Glyfada iRepair 9pts, 2. III. Keruleti TVE 8pts, 3. Panionios GSS 7pts, 4. Digi Eger 6pts, 5. Grand Nancy 0pts   

Sunday’s opening game saw Digi Eger do exactly what they needed – win the three points against Grand Nancy and move into the third qualification place, two points above Panionios.

The Hungarians knew their mission and after a tight first quarter, they started to pull away in the second. Grand Nancy were briefly level at 3-3, but that’s where their resistance ended, as Eger finished the half with a powerful 0-4 rush.

In the third and fourth, the French side could only muster one more goal, while Eger continued to cut through their defence. Natasa Lendvai had a particularly fruitful morning, as she fired home seven times in the comprehensive 4-13 win.

Later, Eger’s players and coaches could only sit and watch as Panionios GSS entered the water at the Nautical Sports Club pool to take on the unbeaten hosts, ANC Glyfada iRepair.

The task for Panionios’ players was clear – they had to win in regular time to overtake Eger and qualify. Two points against Glyfada wouldn’t have been enough, as the Hungarians edged their head-to-head clash on Friday 10-11.

Everything started perfectly for Panionios, as they closed down Glyfada’s attacks and stunned the hosts – who also missed two penalties – with a 0-5 surge that put them firmly on course.

Japanese star Yuri Arima was again prolific for Panionios, as she’d rifled in three of the five goals, with Malia Allen and Margarita Bitsakou the other scorers.

At the end of the second quarter, Glyfada finally found some rhythm and strikes from Rafaela Saltamanika, Thomais Moustakaria and Zoi Tzortzakaki cut the deficit to two (3-5) at half-time.

In the third, Panionios were again ruthless and regained control of the game, firing in three times to put the hosts – who were already guaranteed top spot and a place in the Quarter Finals – 4-8 down. 

The fourth saw Glyfada pull two goals back (and miss another penalty), but it wasn’t enough to maintain their perfect record – or for Eger either – as Panionios scored once more and ran the clock down to seal the win they needed to join their compatriots in the next round.

Group B

EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) 9-6 Ethnikos OFPF (GRE)
Spandau 04 (GER) 9-17 ZV De Zaan (NED)

Standings: 1. ZV De Zaan 12pts, 2. EPlus CN Catalunya 6pts, 3. Ethnikos OFPF 6pts, 4. Hapoel Yoqneam 5pts, 5. Spandau 04 1pt

After sitting out of Saturday’s action, EPlus CN Catalunya returned to the pool fresh on the final day, needing a win in regular time against Ethnikos OFPF to progress.

A tight first quarter saw neither side give much away and both teams could only find the net once in an end-to-end eight minutes.

Ethnikos – who had already punched their ticket to the Quarter Finals on day three – were overpowered in the second.

Great Britain captain Kathy Rogers struck twice for Catalunya and her international team-mate Toula Falvey and Clara Diaz were also on target during a 4-0 surge that put the Spaniards 5-1 up.

The third quarter saw Catalunya extend their lead to five (7-2) with 3:13 remaining and at that point they were in full control and racing towards the victory they desired.

Ethnikos did hit back twice to trail by three going into the final quarter, but the Spaniards slammed the door shut with further goals from Diaz and Falvey to wrap up the win.

Later, runaway leaders ZV De Zaan’s last game saw them face the hosts, Spandau 04, who were keen to end their Qualification Round campaign with a win in front of their home fans.

The Dutch side were equally determined to maintain their perfect record, though, and despite trailing 6-5 midway through the second quarter, De Zaan were able to pull away in the third.

In the end, Spandau’s struggles at home in Europe continued as they fell 9-17, with De Zaan captain Lieke Rogge, Kila Van Der Veen and Nerida Drewes all finishing as the game’s joint top scorer with four each.  

Group C

Lille UC (FRA) 11-15 CN Tenerife Echeyde (ESP)
Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) 10-11 Rapallo Pallanuoto (ITA)

Standings: 1. Pallanuoto Trieste 6pts, 2. CN Tenerife Echeyde 6pts, 3. Rapallo Pallanuoto 6pts, 3. Lille UC 0pts

CN Tenerife Echeyde entered the final day knowing they needed to beat winless Lille UC to put pressure on Rapallo Pallanuoto, who were set to face Italian rivals Pallanuoto Trieste later.

The Spaniards may have completed their challenge, but they were made to work extremely hard for it, especially as the French side led 9-7 midway through the third quarter.

Lille more than matched their opponents for 25 minutes and were even level at 10-10 early in the fourth. Their Hungarian star Barbara Bujka was proving a real thorn in Tenerife’s side, as she’d scored four, but her team faded in the final moments.  

Tenerife’s strong 1-5 finish saw them run out 11-15 winners, but they knew they’d been in a real battle and now had to wait to see if it was enough to qualify.

With a three-way tie possible if Rapallo Pallanuoto beat Pallanuoto Trieste, Rapallo needed to win by two clear goals to progress, as that would have placed them top of their mini league above Tenerife and Trieste.

Carolina Marcialis and Lara Bianco got Rapallo off to a good start, as they led 1-2 after the first, but once they’d extended their lead to 3-5 in the second, Trieste hit back through Francesca Colletta and Lucrezia Cergol to level at half-time 5-5.

The momentum was with the hosts, who edged 7-5 ahead in the third, then a 0-4 rush swung the game back in Rapallo’s favour, and at 7-9 they had one foot in the last eight.

It was a scoreline they were desperate to keep, but in the fourth, Trieste reduced the gap to one twice at 8-9 and 9-10, then Lara Bianco struck for 9-11 to get Rapallo back on track with 2:51 remaining.

Bianco was then excluded to gift Trieste the opportunity to make it 10-11 and Cergol duly delivered, firing in to ultimately end Rapallo’s dreams, much to the delight of the watching Tenerife players and coaches.

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