The match between a newcomer and a water polo powerhouse is one of the most intriguing in the Champions League Round 2, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. This match will take place in Athens, where Panathinaikos is set to host Ferencváros.
Both matches that will be played in Serbia are also under spotlight – Radicki welcomes Brescia, and Novi Beograd and Mladost will face off in Belgrade
2027 Champions League Group Stage, Round 2, Preview
GROUP A
Away wins would be major surprises in Group A, but neither Olympiacos nor Sabadell can afford to underestimate their opponents.
Jadran needs to start collecting points on the road to compensate for its narrow home defeat to Sabadell in Podgorica. However, even the strongest clubs in the world find it difficult to earn positive results in Piraeus. Olympiacos is aiming for a place in the Final Four and will be determined to avoid any costly mistakes.
Sabadell will be buoyed by its convincing victory over Barcelona in the Spanish League, before the clash against Waspo 98 Hannover. The German side defeated Sabadell twice in the 2026 Champions League, serving as a clear warning that the Spaniards cannot afford a relaxing approach to the game.
GROUP B
As in Group A, the home teams are favorites in this week’s Group B fixtures, although the clash in Kragujevac promises to be particularly intriguing.
Radnicki and Brescia last met a year and a half ago in the Euro Cup eight-finals. Their first encounter, in Brescia, ended in an 8:8 draw, before Radnicki secured qualification with a 14:10 victory at home. Since then, Brescia have rejuvenated their squad, while Radnicki have strengthened with several experienced players.
Brescia caused trouble for Pro Recco in the opening round of Group B but ultimately failed to upset the 11-time European champions. The Italian side has also performed very well in its domestic league this season, while Radnicki has defeated all opponents in the Premier VRL League by convincing margins.
Both teams are in good form, suggesting that water polo fans in Kragujevac are in for an exciting contest.
GROUP C
The clash between Novi Beograd and Mladost is arguably the hardest match in Round 2 to predict.
Novi Beograd put in a solid performance in the opening round but, as expected, lost to Barceloneta in Spain. Mladost, meanwhile, collected only one point at home against Jadran Split, a surprising result given the teams’ recent meetings. In their other two encounters over the past several weeks, the two leading Croatian clubs produced one-sided contests, with Mladost winning 18:10 in the Croatian Super Cup and 16:8 in the Croatian League.
Novi Beograd and Mladost are of similar quality and know each other extremely well, having often trained together. Novi Beograd is coached by Zoran Bajic, Mladost’s former head coach, which is another layer of familiarity to this encounter.
Mladost’s convincing 16:8 victory over Jadran last week suggests that the Zagreb-based team is in excellent form. Novi Beograd, on the other hand, suffered a heavy setback against Radnicki in last week’s Premier League derby. The Belgrade-based side may have paid the price for an exceptionally demanding schedule. Novi Beograd started its season in the Champions League qualifiers on September 18, and has already played 17 matches since then.
Zoran Bajic with Novi Beograd players Photo by Milos Milivojevic/VK Novi Beograd
Mladost has had more time to rest, but Novi Beograd has also had an opportunity to recover from its defeat to Radnicki. If both teams perform at their best, the contest could remain undecided until the closing stages.
Mladost has never beaten Novi Beograd. The two teams have met several times in the former Regional Water Polo League, but few players on their current rosters participated in those games.
Barceloneta is the favorite in all its Group C fixtures, but Jadran Split has already shown it can make a surprise when opponents underestimate the former Croatian and European champion.
GROUP D
The match between a Champions League debutant and one of the most decorated clubs in European water polo is one of this week’s highlights.
Panathinaikos will host Ferencvaros, a three-time European champion, in what promises to be a demanding test for the Hungarian side. Panathinaikos has significantly strengthened its squad over the past two summer transfer windows and made a promising start to its first-ever Champions League campaign. However, they narrowly lost to Marseille in France.
Greek teams traditionally perform better at home than away, and Panathinaikos will hope home advantage helps it challenge the formidable Hungarian opponents. Whether that will be enough to secure a victory remains to be seen.
Romanian champion Steaua will host French champion Marseille in Bucharest. The teams have not met for several seasons, so Marseille’s two convincing victories over Steaua in the 2021/22 Champions League offer little basis for predicting the outcome of this encounter.
Nevertheless, the French, the reigning Euro Cup winners, will enter the match as clear favorites, much as they did five seasons ago.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: total-waterpolo.com
