The traditional BENU Cup, featuring four strong teams, concluded today in Budapest.
Spain secured 1st place, followed by Hungary in 2nd place and Montenegro in 3rd. The Olympic champion Serbia ended up at the bottom of the standings, despite being the only team to defeat Spain.
Both Spain and Hungary earned six points each, making their match a decisive factor in the race for 1st place. Spain defeated the hosts in a 38-goal game on Day 1 (21:17). Montenegro and Serbia each collected three points; however, Montenegro finished ahead of Serbia due to their closely contested victory of 12:11 in their match.
In preparation matches, the scores are often not the main focus. Head coaches take this opportunity to test different players and strategies as they work on shaping their teams before finalizing the World Championships rosters.
Montenegro narrowly defeated Serbia 12:11 in the first match on Day 1. The Montenegrins started excellently, earning an opening 4:0 lead. However, Serbia came back into the game and equalized in the third quarter (6:6, 7:7) and again in the fourth period – 11:11. Filip Gardasevic set the final score – 12:11 with 45 seconds left on the clock. The best scorer was a returnee to the Serbian national team, Boris Vapenski, who netted four goals.
Spain defeated Hungary in a “handball” match, 21:17. The hosts started strong, leading 5:3 at the first break. However, Spain turned the game around in the second quarter and led 10:8 at halftime. In the second half, Hungary managed to catch up with the European champions and even took a 15:14 lead early in the fourth period. Nevertheless, Spain responded with a 5:0 run, establishing a 19:15 advantage that they maintained until the final buzzer. The leaders of Spain’s attack were veteran Felipe Perrone, who scored six goals, and Alberto Munarriz, who added five goals.
On Day 2, Serbia defeated Spain 12:11 in a match filled with twists and turns. The lead constantly changed sides throughout the game. Serbia entered the final minute with an 11:10 advantage. However, Bernat Sanahuja equalized at 11:11 with just 26 seconds remaining. In a dramatic finish, double Olympic champion Milos Cuk scored his sixth goal at the very last second, preventing the match from going into a shootout and allowing Serbia to secure three points.
Marton Vamos (HUN) Photo by VPSCG/Krsto Vulovic
In another match on the second day, Hungary triumphed over Montenegro (15:8). Hungary led for most of the game, but Montenegro kept up with the hosts until the middle of the third period. At halftime, the teams were tied at 6:6. Two and a half minutes before the end of the third period, Montenegro was only down by one goal (8:9). However, Hungary scored six unanswered goals in the remainder of the match, resulting in a convincing victory. Krisztian Manhercz played a key role, contributing five goals to Hungary’s 15:8 win.
An encounter between Spain and Montenegro opened Day 3. The Spaniards achieved the most convincing win of the tournament. Led by Alvaro Granados (5 goals), they beat Montenegro 18:10. The second quarter, during which Spain scored nine and conceded three goals was crucial. Precisely, they broke the Montenegrins with a quick 4:0 run between the 11th and 13th minute, as they jumped from 6:4 to 10:4. By the end of the first half, they stretched the margin to eight (13:5).
The last match of the tournament was more exciting than the encounter between Spain and Montenegro. Hungary edged out Serbia 13:12. Some of the key players were missing from both squads. After a balanced 4:4 first quarter, center-forward Nemanja Vico put Serbia in front, 5:4. But, it turned out that it was Serbia’s last lead in the match. Hungary kept the Olympic champion goalless for ten minutes while producing a 6:0 series to build a 10:5 advantage. However, Serbia was able to catch up with the hosts. Early in the fourth period, Hungary was three steps ahead of the Serbs (12:9). Then, Dusan Mandic took the stage, scoring three consecutive goals within two and a half minutes and leveling at 12:12 in the 29th minute. Burian made it 13:12 with 02:44 left on the clock. There were no goals in the rest of the game.
2025 BENU Cup, Budapest
Day 1
Montenegro – Serbia 12:11 (4:2, 2:3, 3:3, 3:3)
Montenegro: Gardasevic 3, Dj. Radovic 2, Gojkovic 2, Kholod 1, Vujovic 1, Cetkovic 1, Banicevic 1, Vuckovic 1.
Serbia: Vapenski 4, S.Rasovic 3, Lazic 1, Drasovic 1, N.Jaksic 1, V.Rasovic 1.
Hungary – Spain 17:21 (5:3, 3:7, 4:4, 5:7)
Hungary: Vigvari 3, Fekete 3, Vismeg 3, Tatrai 2, Ak.Nagy 2, Vamos 2, Angyal 1, Manhercz 1.
Spain: Perrone 6, Munarriz 5, Granados 3, Bustos 2, Biel 1, Gomila 1, Cabanas 1, Larumbe 1, Valera 1.
Day 2
Serbia – Spain 12:11 (3:2, 1:3,4:3, 4:3)
Serbia: Cuk 6, Mandic 3, S.Rasovic 1, Milojevic 1, Murisic 1.
Spain: Sanahuja 3, Biel 2, Munarriz 1, Larumbe 1, Cabanas 1, Perrone 1, Valera 1, Daura 1.
Hungary – Montenegro 15:8 (4:3, 2:3, 7:2, 2:0)
Hungary: Manhercz 5, Angyal 3, Fekete 2, Burian 2, Ak.Nagy 1, Szalai 1, Tatrai 1.
Montenegro: Matkovic 2, Perkovic 2, Kholod 1, V.Radovic 1, Gardasevic 1, Gojkovic 1.
Day 3
Spain – Montenegro 18:10 (4:2, 9:3, 3:2, 2:3)
Spain: Granados 5, Munarriz 3, Valera 3, Cabanas 2, Biel 2, Sanahuja 1, Gomila 1, De Toro 1.
Montenegro: Matkovic 3, Dj. Radovic 2, Macic 1, V.Radovic 1, Vujovic 1, Vuckovic 1, Gojkovic 1.
Hungary – Serbia 13:12 (4:4, 4:1, 3:4, 2:3)
Hungary: Ven. Vigvari 3, Varga 3, Fekete 2, Burian 2, Vamos 1, Ak.Nagy 1, Vismeg 1.
Serbia: Dusan Mandic 4, Lukic 2, Cuk 2, Milojevic 2, Vico 2.
Standings: 1. Spain 6 (goal difference 50:39), 2. Hungary 6 (45:41), 3. Montenegro 3 (30:44), 4. Serbia 3 (35:36).
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