The Italian clubs got off to an excellent start in the 2026 Champions League, with both Serie A teams recording away victories in the first round this evening.
As anticipated, Pro Recco defeated Novi Beograd in Belgrade in Group B. The young Novi Beograd team fought bravely throughout the match, but Recco’s early 4:0 lead set the tone for the rest of the encounter. The 2025 Euro Cup winner secured a 12:8 victory.
In the most thrilling match of the day, Brescia edged out Primorac in Kotor, earning a 14:13 win in Group C.
Both Pro Recco and Brescia returned to the Champions League this season after a one-year absence.
Title holder Ferencvaros, despite missing some key players, comfortably beat Oradea 19:11 in the first game of Group C.
In the Spanish derby in Group D, Sabadell hosted Barceloneta. The home team played exceptionally well and posed a challenge for Barceloneta. However, the visitors managed to secure a 16:12 victory, thanks to a dominant third quarter.
2026 Champions League, Day 1
GROUP B
Novi Beograd – Pro Recco 8:12 (0:4, 2:2, 3:2, 3:4)
Novi Beograd: Martinovic 3, Cuk 2, Gladovic 1, Trtovic 1, Urosevic 1.
Pro Recco: Condemi 3, Granados 2 Irving 2,Fondelli 2, Presciutti 1, Pavillard 1, IocchGratta1
Novi Beograd and Pro Recco have met five times so far. This evening, the difference in quality and experience between the two teams was considerable for the first time. That difference was evident in the first quarter. Pro Recco earned a 4:0 lead in the first eight minutes, scoring two goals from penalty shots, one with a man-up, and one from an action. The first period was, as it turned out, vital for Recco’s victory. Novi Beograd managed to cut the deficit to two by the middle of the second quarter, but the visitors shortly after restored a 4-goal lead.
The hosts’ goalkeeper Milan Glusac helped his team’s growing self-confidence with several excellent saves, and his teammates had become more and more dangerous in the attack.Novi Beograd came very close to Pro Recco in the 20th minute, when Milos Cuk scored from a nice lob for 5:6. Still, Presciutti replied immediately after, and Iocchi Gratta made it 8:5. The Belgrade-based team fought bravely until the end. Martinovic reduced the gap to 6:8. However, in the middle of the fourth period, Pro Recco netted three goals in 75 seconds (Fondelli 2 and Condemi 1), built a five-goal lead for the first time and practically sealed the victory.
Yesterday: Jadran HN – Jadran S 14:11.
GROUP C
Ferencvaros – Oradea 19:11 (4:3, 7:1, 3:3, 5:4)
Ferencvaros: Vismeg 5, Ak.Nagy 3, Vigvari 3, Di Somma 2, Jansik 2, Pajan 1, Vamos 1, Fekere 1, Varga 1.
Oradea: Gardasevic 4, Oltean 3, Negrean 1, Ilisie 1, Gusarov 1, Velkic 1.
Ferencvaros played without several of its super stars. Dusan Mandic, who will be out of the pool for a few weeks because of an injury suffered in the Euro Cup, missed the match, together with Stylianos Argyropoulos (also injured), Krisztian Manhercz and freshly recovered Soma Vogel.
However, the reigning champion recorded an easy win over Oradea. The Romanians took a 3:1 lead after less than three minutes of play. Ferencvaros took control quickly and produced a 5:0 run, turning around a 2-goal deficit to a 6:3 lead. Gardasevic broke the hosts’ series (4:6), but not for long. Ferencvaros scored five consecutive goals again and was 11:4 up at halftime.
For most of the second half, the Hungarians maintained a 7-goal difference earned in the first half. They had a 19:10 lead a minute before the end, and Gardasevic scored the last goal in the match to narrow the distance to eight.
Primorac – Brescia 13:14 (3:3, 4:4, 3:5,3:2)
Primorac: Mrsic 4, Cetkovic 2, Vico 2, Inaba 1, Murisic 1,Vuckovic 1, Brkic 1, Stanojevic 1.
Brescia: Ferrero 3, Gianazza 3, Balzarini 3, Poadic2, Dolce 1, Del Basso 1, Giri 1.
Brescia opened the match with two goals, but the Montenegrins replied with three for a 3:2 advantage deep into the first quarter. However, new turns were yet to come. Early in the second period, Brescia went ahead twice (4:3, 5:4). Then Primorac scored three goals in two minutes and established a 2-goal lead for the first time (7:5). However, Brescia halted the hosts’ run and managed to level the score before the end of the first half – 7:7.
Luka Murisic scored from a six on 5 in Primorac’s first possession in the third period (8:7), but it was the hosts’ last lead in the match. Alessandro Balzarini responded with two quick goals to put Brescia ahead once again. Primorac equalized at 9:9 and again at 10:10, but Brescia regained the lead on each occasion. Just six seconds before the end of the third period, Filipo Ferrero found the net and the Italians headed into the fourth period with a 12:10 advantage. Still, Primorac struck back with goals from Mrsic and Vico. In the 28th minute, Ferrero converted a penalty to give Brescia a new minimal lead of 13:12. Mrsic leveled a minute later. After that, both teams’ defenses were up to their tasks. It seemed that the match could end in a shootout. However, Vlado Popadic, a Montenegrin on Brescia’s roster, prevented the game from going to a penalty drama, scoring from 6 meters with 44 seconds remaining. Primorac lost the ball in its final possession, and Brescia pocketed all three points.
GROUP D
Sabadell – Barceloneta 12:16 (2:3, 5:4, 2:6, 3:3)
Sabadell: Averka 5, Cabanas 2, Saboya 2, Famera 1, Bonet 1, Panerai 1
Barceloneta: Sanahuja 3, Velotto 3, Brian 2, Thull 2, Vigvari 2,Biel 2,Munarriz 1, Ecenique 1,
After two consecutive defeats to Barceloneta at the start of the season (in the Catalunya Cup and the Spanish Super Cup), Sabadell managed to put up a strong fight against the top Spanish club, but it wasn’t enough for a surprise, as Barceloneta broke the hosts’ ressistance with seven unanswered goals between the 19th and the 26th minutes. Although Barceloneta began the match as expected, taking a 3:1 lead midway through the first period, Sabadell found their footing and took the lead three times during the second period (4:3, 6:5, 7:6). In the final seconds of the first half, Gergely Burian scored, leveling the game at 7:7.
In the first three minutes of the second half, Famera and Cabanas scored action goals, giving Sabadell a two-goal lead for the first time. However, the hosts struggled to maintain their momentum. Barceloneta quickly equalized at 9:9 and continued to build on their success. Seventeen seconds before the end of the third period, Tahull scored, putting Barceloneta ahead 12:9. The high-scoring third period wasn’t over yet; just a second before the buzzer, Alessandro Vellotto surprised Sabadell’s goalkeeper, Eduardo Lorrio, with a long-range shot from over 20 meters, extending Barceloneta’s lead to 13:9.
Sabadell missed two man-up opportunities at the beginning of the final period, which proved costly. Biel added another goal, increasing Barceloneta’s lead to 14:9 in the 26th minute. After a series of seven unanswered goals, Sabadell found it impossible to recover.
Yesterday: Marseille – Hannover 20:9
