Visiting teams performed very well in the second round of the Italian League, winning four out of seven matches.
However, the home team earned points in the derby. The highlight of the round was an encounter between Pro Recco and Trieste, the reigning champion and 4th-placed team in the 2025 season. Recco started strong, taking an opening 3:0 lead. Trieste fought back to equalize at 4:4 midway through the second period. However, Recco responded with a 5:0 run, establishing a comfortable 9:4 advantage in the early stages of the third period. Eleven players of Pro Recco got on the scoresheet in an 18:11 victory. Di Fulvio and Iocchi Gratta scored three goals each, but Trieste’s Vuk Draskovic topped the scorers’ list with seven goals.
Brescia earned a hard-fought victory over Posillipo in Naples. At halftime, Brescia led 9:6. Posillipo started coming back step by step. The hosts managed to tie at the beginning of the fourth quarter – 12:12. Brescia quickly replied with two goals. Posillipo halved its deficit twice, but Jacopo Alesiani, the best scorer of the match, sealed Brescia’s win with his fifth goal just a second before the end – 16:14.
For the first time, a game in the regular season of the Italian League was decided in a penalty shootout (this rule was implemented this season). Roma Vis Nova defeated Quinto in Genoa 16:14 (12:12). The home side was closer to a victory in regular time as Drasko Gogov scored his fourth goal with 31 seconds remaining to give the Genoa-based club a 12:11 advantage. But Poli leveled at 12:12 with twelve seconds to go and prolonged the match to a shootout. The team from the capital won, and the key players were goalkeeper Corregia, with nine saves in the shootout, and Jacop Mrecep, who scored five goals (including one in the shootout).
After suffering a painful 5:15 loss to Iren Quinto at home in the first round, Ortigia defeated Florentia in Florence 17:15. Baksa Benedek scored five goals for Ortigia, which secured the victory only in the fourth period.
A 20-year-old Hungarian, Oliver Leinweber, who scored eight goals in his debut for Savona last week, delivered another strong performance: Leinweber scored five goals to help Savona earn a convincing 21:9 victory over De Akker. Veteran Pietro Figlioli added four goals.
2025/26 Italian League, Round 2
Pro Recco – Trieste 18:11 (4:2, 4:2, 4:4, 6:3)
Posillipo – Brescia 14:16 (3:5, 3:4, 5:3, 3:4)
Florentia – Ortigia 15:17 (4:5, 5:4, 3:3, 3:5)
Telimar – Olympic Roma 8:6 (2:1, 0:2, 3:1, 3:2)
De Akker – Savona 9:21 (1:6, 3:3, 2:6, 3:6)
Canottieri Napoli – Salerno 14:9 (3:2, 2:2, 4:4, 5:1)
Iren Genova Quinto – Roma Vis Nova 14:16 (4:5, 3:1, 3:2, 2:4, PSO 2:4)
Postponed match of Round 1, played earlier this week: Trieste – De Akker 18:15 (3:5, 4:2, 4:4, 7:4)
1. Savona 2 – 6
2. Pro Recco 2 – 6
3. Brescia 2 – 6
4. Telimar 2 – 6
5. Quinto 2 – 4
6. Trieste 2 – 3
7. Posillipo 2 – 3
8. Canottieri 2 – 3
9. Ortigia 2 – 3
10. Roma Vis Nova 2 – 2
11. De Akker 2 – 0
12. Florentia 2 – 0
13. Salerno 2 – 0
14. Olympic Roma 2 – 0
More news about the Italian water polo
