Nobody could have expected that the big game of the Champions League Quarter Final Stage would lack excitement and be decided much before the end.
Pro Recco beat Ferencvaros 13:9 in Budapest in the first round of the QF Group B. The Italians avenged their narrow defeat to “Fradi” in the same pool in the European Super Cup match held in October.
The first quarter set the tone of the match. Pro Recco led 5:0 after the first eight minutes. Ferencvaros desperately attempted to come back, but Recco controlled everything. In the following three quarters, the visitors’ lead was never smaller than four goals. The contest was practically over in the middle of the fourth period when Recco built a 13:7 lead. In the rest of the match, the hosts scored two consolation goals.
An encounter between Mladost and Waspo Hannover in the same group was similar. Mladost, the heavy favorite, opened the game with a 5:0 first quarter and kept a safe distance until the end. The Zagreb-based team recorded a 12:8 victory.
2026 Champions League, Quarter Final Stage, Group B, Day 1
(quarters 0:5, 3:2, 3:3, 3:3)
Ferencvaros: Mandic 2, Vamos 2, Di Somma 2, Argyropoulos 1, Varga 1, Vigvari 1.
Pro Recco: Di Fulvio 3, Granados 3, Condemi 2, Cannella 1, Durik 1, Buric 1, Irving 1, Cassia 1.
Recco started strongly and stunned Ferencvaros in the first quarter. The hosts didn’t manage to recover. Only 21 seconds passed and Francesco Di Fulvio found the net from a close-range shot after a great assist by Luke Pavillard. The visitors then added two power-play goals. Canella made it 4:0 from a 6 on 6, and Condemi closed the first quarter, making it 5:0 from a counterattack with 6 seconds left on the clock. Ferencvaros had four man-up possessions in the first eight minutes, but it didn’t help the hosts score. They hit the posts a few times, which made them even more nervous.
Dusan Mandic put the hosts on the scoreboard, converting a penalty in the 9th minute. However, Condemi replied immediately. Until the end of the first half, the teams traded goals. Pro Recco played in its rhythm, with well-organized attacks, while Ferencvaros finished many of its possessions rashly.
Soma Vogel Photo by FTC Telekom
The Hungarians managed to slightly narrow the gap, largely thanks to their goalkeeper Soma Vogel’s good performance. Although he conceded seven goals in the first 16 minutes, he also made eight saves. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the pool, Gianmarco Nicosia saved four shots during the first half. These statistics reveal a great deal about what the two teams displayed in the first half.
Still, at halftime, Ferencvaros’s head coach Nyeki switched the goalkeepers at halftime. But Vogel’s replacement, Szakonyi, couldn’t stop Recco’s first shot in the second half. Max Irving increased the Italians’ lead to 8:3 after just 13 seconds from a distance. Mandic scored for 4:8. Still, midway through the quarter, Alvaro Granados scored two, and Recco established a 6-goal lead (10:4). After that, Vogel returned to the water. Vigvari and Vamos kept the Hungarians’ hopes alive, and the hosts trailed 6:10 before the fourth quarter.
Pro Recco demonstrated excellent performance Photo by FTC Telekom
Ferencvaros became more aggressive in its attack during the second half. However, Recco’s defense, along with goalkeeper Gianmarco Nicosia, rose to the occasion. Ferencvaros’ hopes remained alive until the middle of the fourth period. In the 28th minute, Di Fulvio scored his third goal, pushing the score to 13:7 with an extra player on the field. At this point, it was definitely clear that the Italians would start the Quarter Final Stage winning three points in a big derby.
Recco continued its winning streak in all competitions, which has lasted since the loss in the above mentioned Super Cup in Budapest.
(quarters 5:0, 2:2, 3:3, 2:3)
Mladost: Radulovic 2, Bukic 2, Tonicic 1, Buljubasic 1, Lazic 1, Nagaev 1, Vrlic 1, Vukicevic 1, Kharkov 1, Loncar 1.
Waspo 98 Hannover: Kuppers 2, Strelezkij 2, Bozic 2, Gansen 2.
Mladost imposed its strong rhythm from the beginning, as expected. The Croats took a 5:0 lead in the first seven minutes. Hannover halted the hosts’ series with a power-play goal in the 10th minute. Mladost went to 7:1, but Hannover didn’t let its rival earn a lead bigger than six goals. However, the Germans couldn’t get close to Mladost.
The visitors cut their deficit to four goals on a few occasions. Deep into the third period, Gansen scored for 4:8. Bukic and Radulovic gave Mladost a 10:4 lead, and Strelezkij converted a man-up 18 seconds before the last break.
Ivan Buljubasic (Mladost) Photo by Tom Franic/HAVK Mladost
The hosts slowed their pace in the finish, but the Germans didn’t endanger their advantage. Two and a half minutes before the end, Hannover reduced the gap to three goals (8:11), but Konstantin Kharkov sealed Mladost’ win and set the final score 34 seconds later.
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