Novi Beograd defeated Radnicki 10:8 at home in the big derby and the last match of the third round of the VRL Premier League. The Belgrade-based team has nine points after three games, while Radnicki, the main title contender, suffered its second consecutive loss, following a penalty shootout defeat against Jadran in Kragujevac.
Radnicki is still without the injured Nikola Jaksic , and the first goalkeeper, Radoslav Filipovic, also missed the match. As for the home team, two experienced players, Dusan Vasic and Kristijan Sulc, who both left Crvena Zvezda several days ago and joined the European vice-champion, made their debuts for Novi Beograd today. Anyway, the visitors were the favorites.
Radnicki opened the match better than Novi Beograd. After a low-scoring first half, Radnicki had a 3:1 lead. Novi Beograd made a turn in the third period, earning a one-goal lead. At the finish of the game, the hosts doubled and kept their advantage until the final buzzer.
Both teams played very strongly on defense in the first half. In the attack, they were forced to make the most of their scoring attempts from a distance. The first one to score was Radnicki’s Olympian Nikola Dedovic in the fifth minute. Dusan Vasic equalized 69 seconds before the first break, but Vlahopoulos immediately responded, so Radnicki entered the second period with a 2:1 lead. The rhythm and style of the game did not change in the second quarter. The next and last goal of the first half was not scored until the 14th minute, when Andrija Prlainović doubled the visitors’ lead.
In the first 16 minutes, both goalkeepers displayed good performances; Milan Glusac (Novi Beograd) made six saves, and Stefan Todorovski (Radnicki) posted one more save.
Early in the third period, Novi Beograd leveled with two goals from Luka Gladovic. Dadvani put Radnicki in front again. The hosts took a 5:4 lead with goals from Radovic and Lukic. Veteran Andrija Prlainovic leveled, but Novi Beograd had the last word in this quarter. Dusan Trtovic converted a man-up just a second before the last break. Novi Beograd had a 6:5 advantage before the final period, but was without captain Milos Cuk, who was excluded midway through the third quarter.
The visitors leveled the score in the fourth period (6:6, 7:7). However, Novi Beograd retook control. Nikola Lukic gave the Belgrade-based team a 9:7 lead with 01:48 minutes left on the clock. In the next possession, Prlainovic reduced the gap, but Lukic responded with a close-range shot after a nice assist from Luka Gladovic. Novi Beograd kept a 2-goal advantage in the remaining 76 seconds of the match.
Nikola Lukic Photo by Milos Milojevic/VK Novi Beograd
Lukic was the home team’s top scorer with three goals. Andrija Prlainovic scored four for Radnicki, but it was a slim consolation for the great ace. Novi Beograd’s goalkeeper, Milan Glusac, finished the match with 12, and Radnicki’s Stefan Todorovski with 11 saves.
One of the factors that made the difference was power play conversion. Radnicki scored only one goal from eight six-on-five shots. Novi Beograd converted five of its nine man-up shots.
2026 VRL Premier League, Round 3
Novi Beograd – Radnicki 10:8 (1:2, 0:1, 5:2, 4:3)
1.Sabac 3 – 9
2.Novi Beograd 3 – 9
2. Jadran HN 3 – 8
4. Primorac 3 – 6
5. Radnicki 2 – 4
6. Crvena Zvezda 3 – 0
7. Partizan 3 – 0
8. Buducnost 3 – 0
Visit the Premier League’s page on Total Waterpolo Arena for the live scores, schedule and standings.
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