Pro Recco and Ferencvaros, the top favorites for the 2026 Champions League title, have secured their spots in the Final Four tournament in Malta. Both teams achieved victories in the fifth round of Group B.
Pro Recco defeated Mladost in Zagreb. The home team put up a strong fight and held on until the end, but they were unable to upset the favorites, who led for almost the entire match and won 17:14.
Ferencvaros, as expected, dominated Waspo Hannover, winning 17:8. An opening 4-0 run and a subsequent 7-0 streak in the middle of the match set the tone for their victory.
Although Pro Recco and Ferencváros are tied in points, Pro Recco sits atop the table due to a better head-to-head record. It is very likely that the standings for the top two spots will remain unchanged, as Recco will host Hannover, and Ferencvaros will play against Mladost at home in the final round scheduled for next week.
2026 Champions League, Quarter Final Stage, Round 5, Group B
(quarters 3:5, 4:4, 3:4, 4:4)
Mladost: Kharkov 4, Basic 3, Radulovic 3, Bukic 1, Tonicic 1, Vukicevic 1, Loncar 1.
Pro Recco: Di Fulvio 3, Pavillard 3, Irving 3, Cannella 2, Granados 1, Durik 1, Fondelli 1, Presciutti 1, Patchaliev 1, Buric 1
Pro Recco had to work hard to earn three points in Zagreb
Mladost scored in its first possession, but it was the hosts’ only lead in the match. Pro Recco created many opportunities in the first quarter, but Mladost’s defense was quite good; a young Mauro Ivan Cucuric posted several nice saves. Still, at the finish of the period, Recco established a 3-goal lead after Max Irving made it 5:2 from a counterattack. Marko Radulovic answered immediately. However, Pro Recco kept control. The visitors went to 7:3 early in the second period with two back-to-back goals from Francesco Di Fulvio. But, playing well on defense, Mladost was able to come back. Marko Radulovic scored from a distance for 7:8 in the 15th minute. The Croats had a possession to equalize, but failed. Alvaro Granados doubled Recco’s advantage. Twelve seconds before the middle break, Gianmarco Nicosia saved a penalty shot from Konstantin Kharkov.
Max Irving Photo by Tom Franic
At the beginning of the second half, the teams quickly exchanged goals (8:10), but then Pro Recco tightened its defense, keeping its offensive play on the same level as in the first half. Francesco Di Fulvio stretched the margin to five in the 23rd minute, converting a penalty shot to a 13:8 lead. Still, the Zagreb-based side closed the third period with two goals, thanks to a counterattack. First, Basic scored from a penalty awarded after a counterattack, and then captain Vukicevic scored on a counter for 10:13 with four seconds left in the quarter, keeping Mladost’s hopes alive.
Max Irving made it 14:10. Andrija Basic found the net twice within 35 seconds, cutting the hosts’ deficit to 12:14 (27th minute). However, Mladost couldn’t reduce the gap further.Cannella and Pavillard extended their lead to four points (16:12). Mladost halved its the deficit once again (14:16), but Giacomo Cannella resolved all dilemmas by scoring in a counterattack to finalize the score at 17:14, with 51 seconds remaining.
Mauro Ivan Cubranic Photo by Tom Franic
Almost all Pro Recco outfield players got on the scoreboard, while the best scorer was Mladost’s left-handed Konstantin Kharkov, with four goals. A very good performance by Mladost’s goalkeeper Cubranic should be noted. He posted 15 saves.
(quarters 4:0, 4:3, 4:2, 5:3)
Ferencvaros: Vigvari 4, Nagy 3, Argyropoulos 2, Vin.Varga 2, Vamos 2, Lugosi 1, Fekete 1, Jansik 1, De Toro 1.
Waspo 98 Hannover: Lozina 2, Vukicevic 2, Milradovic 1, Gansen 1, Macan 1, Langiewicz 1,
Ferencvaros, playing with recovered Dusan Mandic but without Edoardo Di Somma, established a 4:0 lead in the first six minutes, and it looked like the match would turn into a one-sided contest quickly. But, the Germans didn’t give in easily. They opened the second quarter with three goals within 76 seconds, reducing the gap to 3:4. However, that was a wake-up alarm for the hosts, who then went on a 4:0 run (including three 6 on 5 goals), building an 8:3 lead by halftime.
Argyropoulos Photo: FTC Telekom Waterpolo
Ferencvaros kept rolling after the break, adding three goals to earn a huge 11:3 advantage in the 20th minute and practically secure three points and the ticket to Malta. A minute and a half before the end, the title-holder reached the double-digit margin (17:7), and Hannover’s Lozina scored the last goal in the match shortly after.
Younger players gave the biggest contribution to Fradi’s new win, and the hosts recorded a very convincing win, even tough Hannover managed to stop Krisztian Manhercz and Dusan mandic.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: total-waterpolo.com
