The Champions League Quarter Final Stage moves into its second half this week. Following Round 4, we could already know the first two teams to secure their places in the Final Four.
Group leaders Pro Recco and Barceloneta, both perfect with 9 points from 3 matches, have a strong chance to clinch F4 berths. Pro Recco hosts Ferencvaros in a standout clash of the round, while Barceloneta faces Brescia at home.
Elsewhere, alongside the matches in Italy and Spain, the showdown between Olympiacos and Novi Beograd in Piraeus is set to attract significant attention.
2026 Champions League, Quarter Final Stage, Day 4, Preview
GROUP B
Tuesday, April 21 (all games start at 20:30 CET): Pro Recco – Ferencvaros Telekom, Waspo 98 Hannover – Mladost.
Pro Recco opened its campaign in the Quarter Final Stage with an impressive 13:9 victory over Ferencvaros in Budapest. Moreover, the Hungarians could be satisfied with the final score, as they trailed 0:5 after the first quarter and by six goals (4:10 and 7:13) in the second half.
Since the new Champions League was inaugurated 13 years ago, Pro Recco and Ferencvaros have met eight times, with Recco winning six games and one ending in a draw. The Hungarians defeated Recco only in the 2024 final in Malta (12:11). They repeated that success at the start of this season in the Super Cup in Budapest (15:14).
Alvaro Granados (Pro Recco) and Vendel Vigvari (Ferencvaros) Photo by Laszlo Balogh
Pro Recco, the only unbeaten team in all men’s 2025/26 European cups, has achieved better results and recorded more convincing wins than Ferencvaros.
The tradition and reputation make Pro Recco the favorite again. However, Ferencvaros players can defeat anyone if they perform at their best. Both teams are likely to reach the Final Four, but it is crucial to determine which side will finish atop their group. The visitors will have a realistic chance of claiming first place only if they beat Pro Recco by at least four goals. Therefore, the hosts wouldn’t be too disappointed if they suffer a narrow loss.
Most of the key players from both teams participated in the World Cup qualifications, giving them a similar rhythm in preparation for the continuation of the Champions League. Ferencvaros’s head coach, Nyeki, probably won’t rely on Dušan Mandic, who has not played a single match in over a month due to injury.
Anyway, the games between the giants always promise high-quality water polo and big battles.
Mladost is the favorite against Waspo Hannover, but the Germans have proved they can be a formidable opponent to anyone, even though they are at the bottom of the table. It isn’t a team to underestimate, especially if it plays at home. If Mladost takes all three points, it will remain in the race for the F4, but it will still have to cause at least one surprise in the remaining two rounds.
Hrestak and Mirovic (L) with Mladost players Photo by Tom Franic/HAVK Mladost
A new head coach, Hrvoje Hrestak, will guide Mladost. He was an assistant to Zoran Bajic, who was dismissed after the loss to Ferencvaros in the 3rd round. Hrestak debuted as the head coach in a 15:12 victory over Jadran Split last weekend. It is worth noting that Hrestak chose an experienced coach, Miodrag Mirovic, as his assistant. Mirovic served as Novi Beograd’s head coach for a short time this winter.
Standings: 1. Pro Recco 9, 2. Ferencvaros 6, 3. Mladost 3, 4. Hannover 0.
Visit Total Waterpolo Arena for live results and the statistics of the 2025/26 Champions League
GROUP A
Wednesday, April 22 (all games start at 20:30 CET): Olympiacos – Novi Beograd Tehnomanija, Zodiac Barceloneta – Bresciaa.
Barceloneta has played better and better in a balanced Group B. The Spanish champion earned a 13:11 away win over Brescia in Round 1 of QF Stage. Then it defeated Novi Beograd (14:11) and outplayed Olympiacos (20:13) at home. Now, the Spaniards have an opportunity to book the ticket for the Final Four in their last home Champions League match this season.
Biel Gomila (BAR) in front of Brescia’s defense Photo by Eleonora Frigero
Brescia has also improved its shape, and it collected its first points Quarter Final Stage, beating Novi Beograd 12:11 in the 3rd round.
The two teams have met 16 times in the Champions League. Barceloneta won eight of those 16 games, and Brescia triumphed six times.
Both teams have plenty of motivation, as Brescia stayed in the race for the next stage after beating Novi Beograd. Barceloneta has experienced only one loss this season, but it happened in its pool, where Marseille defeated the Spaniards, so nothing is impossible. The latest performances are very encouraging for Barceloneta, but Brescia may surprise.
The encounters in Barcelona and Piraeus share a common theme: an experienced team will host a quite young side. However, unlike the match in Spain, the home team will be seeking revenge for its earlier defeat, when Novi Beograd beat Olympiacos 12:10 in Belgrade. The Greek champion hasn’t been unbeaten at home in regular time since February last year. It was Novi Beograd that beat Olympiacos in Piraeus last season (8:5). That game had the biggest impact on the rest of the season for both teams – Novi Beograd reached the final. Olympiacos didn’t qualify for the Final Eight.
Marko Dimitrijevic (NBG) and Alexandros Papanastasiou (OLY) Photo by Slobodan Sandic
Olympiacos have defeated Novi Beograd twice in their seven encounters so far, but the Greeks have never done so in Piraeus (Olympiacos beat the Serbs in the group stage in Belgrade in 2021 and in the 3rd-place match in Malta two seasons ago).
The tradition favors Novi Beograd, while Olympiacos has a stronger team on paper. Neither team will be out of contention for the Final Four spots regardless of the outcome of the upcoming match. However, the duel in Piraeus is crucial for both sides. Moreover, it’s practically a must-win game for Olympiacos and Novi Beograd.
Good news for Olympiacos’ fans is that Konstantinos Genidounias, the captain of the Greek champion, who didn’t play in the World Cup due to an injury, has recovered and will help his teammates.
Standings: 1. Barceloneta 9, 2. Novi Beograd 3, 3. Olympiacos 3, 4. Brescia 3.
Visit Total Waterpolo Arena for live results and the statistics of the 2025/26 Champions League
More articles about the Champions League
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: total-waterpolo.com
