The curtain on the international water polo competitions in 2022 will fall in the next two days with the matches of the Champions League Day 4.
The upcoming round of the best competition for the clubs in the world will bring several derby matches as usual.
The big matches of this week are fixtures in Barcelona, Belgrade, and Budapest.
Barceloneta, the leader of Group A, welcomes Radnicki. Brescia, the only team with 9 points in Group B, arrives in Belgrade to face Novi Beograd. Two national champions and former European champions, Ferencvaros and Jug, will meet in the capital of Hungary.
2022/23 Champions League, Day 4, Preview
Group A (Tuesday)
This week, the highlighted duel in Group A is an encounter between Barceloneta and Radnicki in Barcelona. The Spaniards took a flying start in the Champions League. They collected nine points in the first three rounds. But, the next match will be a more challenging test for Barceloneta than the previous three games ( Dinamo, Vouliagmeni, Waspo 98 Hannover).
The clash between Radnicki and Barceloneta last season Photo by KVK Radnicki
The Serbs didn’t open the Champions League in the way they wanted. Radnicki took only a point against Vouliagmeni. After that, it struggled but beat Hannover. Last week, the Kragujevac-based side suffered the first loss in the season. A defeat to big favorite Recco in Italy wasn’t a big disappointment in itself. But the Serbs conceded 20 goals in that match, which is too much for a team like Radnicki is. However, a bad defensive performance in Genoa can be a „wake-up alarm“ before the important game in Barcelona.
Last season, Barceloneta beat Radnicki twice convincingly (9:3 in Kragujevac and 13:7 in Barcelona). But tradition isn’t a real parameter for predictions. Radnicki isn’t a favorite, but it isn’t an underdog, either.
Pro Recco will play its second home Champions League match. The European champion’s rival will host Vouliagmeni, the club coached by Recco’s legend Vladimir Vujasinovic. He left a strong mark in Italy as Recco’s player and coached the club for two years. The Greeks can dream of a surprise, but it’s hard to expect their dreams to come true.
Two matches that don’t promise thrills will open the fourth round. Waspo 98 Hannover welcomes Olympiacos, while Jadran will play against Dinamo Tbilisi in Split at the same time.
After Pro Recco’s victory over Radnicki, Olympiacos remains the only Champions League club that hasn’t lost a game in any competition this season. Olympiacos keeps a perfect record with three wins in as many games in the Champions League and won 36 points in 12 rounds of the Greek League. Hannover had some good moments in the Champions League this season – against Radnicki and Jadran Split. Still, the Germans are with no points. Last week, they suffered a 5:20 loss to Barceloneta in the Champions League. Besides, Waspo hasn’t shined in the domestic competitions this season. The German champion shouldn’t pose a big threat to the best Greek club.
Jadran Split has had some ups and downs since the start of the season. Because of that,it changed the head coach (Jure Marelja replaced Mile Smodlaka). Still, it would be a big surprise if Dinamo takes one or three points in Split. In the previous two rounds, Jadran suffered two home losses. But, the Croats welcomed two powerhouses – Pro Recco and Olympiacos, Neither Pro Recco nor Olympiacos achieved an easy victory in Split.
Day 4, Tuesday, December 20
Waspo 98 Hannover – Olympiacos (19:00)
Jadran Split – Dinamo Tbilisi (19:00)
Barceloneta – Radnicki (20:00)
Pro Recco – Vouliagmeni (21:00)
All times are local (CET)
Follow the live scores and statistics on Total Waterpolo Arena
Standings: 1.Barceloneta 9, 2. Olympiacos 9, 3. Vouliagmeni 7, 4. Pro Recco 6, 5. Radnicki 4, 6. Jadran Split 3, 7. Waspo 98 Hannover 0, 8. Dinamo Tbilisi 0
Group B (Wednesday)
There are no strong favorites in Wednesday’s four matches in Group B. Even the best water polo experts cannot easily predict the outcomes.
Two unbeaten sides will face off in Belgrade. Novi Beograd hosts Brescia. The Serbian champion opened the season with big wins over Spandau and OSC. However, the match against Jug last week caused concern in the Belgrade-based side. Jug is a respectable team, but few expected that the match would end in a draw (12:12). Moreover, Novi Beograd barely saved a point even though it had a four-goal lead (10:6).
Brescia won all nine points in the first three rounds, displaying excellent defensive play. In the last season, these two teams met three times. All encounters were very close battles. They shared the points in the Group A match in Belgrade (11:11). Novi Beograd beat the Italians in Brescia (16:13). Their duel in the semifinals of the F8 in Belgrade was another thriller and Novi Beograd emerged as a winner (14:13). The new clash of these two teams will likely be another even contest.
Just like last week, two matches will take place in Budapest. The duel between two former European champions, Ferencvaros and Jug, undoubtedly attracts more attention.
From Jug to Ferencvaros: Stylianos Argyropoulos Photo: Total Waterpolo
If we look at the rosters, the hosts are considered favorites. One of Ferencvaros’ additions this summer was Stylianos Argyropoulos, who moved from Dubrovnik to Budapest this summer and became one of the leaders of the Hungarian team.
But, Jug has been improving its shape from match to match. It produced two big comebacks in the last two rounds (in the mentioned match against Novi Beograd and in a win over Marseille). Therefore, the Croats’ ambitions are getting higher. Last week, Ferencvaros defeated Marseille after being two goals down four minutes before the end. Both teams are able to fight until the very end. Jug might take revenge for a 13:14 defeat to “Fradi” in the last season’s quarterfinals.
The teams that play in the remaining two matches, OSC Budapest – Sabadell and Marseille – Spandau, are seeking their first wins in the 2023 Champions League.
Marseille had some great moments this season, but it has only one point after three rounds. The French took a point in the home match against OSC. They got off to a good start in the duels with Ferencvaros and Jug, but they left Dubrovnik and Budapest empty-handed. Spandau gained good momentum. After a 5:16 loss to Novi Beograd (Spandau had covid problems before that game), they remained unbeaten in Sabadell and Budapest (against OSC). Each game ended in a 9:9 draw, and Spandau was closer to a victory both in Sabadell and Budapest. Two wins against arch-rival Waspo Hannover in the German competitions are additional encouragement for Spandau.
OSC disappointed its fans with a tie against Spandau. The match against Sabadell is a make-up exam. But, the LEN Euro Cup winner isn’t a team that will arrive in Budapest carrying a white flag. OSC is a favorite here only because of the home field.
Day 4 (December 21)
Marseille – Spandau 04 (20:00)
OSC Budapest – Sabadell (19:00)
Novi Beograd – Brescia (19:45)
Ferencvaros – Jug (20:30)
All times are local (CET)
Follow the live scores and statistics on Total Waterpolo Arena
Standings: 1.Brescia 9, 2. Novi Beograd 7, 3. Ferencvaros 6, 4. Jug 4, 5. OSC Budapest 2, 6. Spandau 2, 7. Marseille 1, 8. Sabadell 1.
After a short Christmas-New Year break, the Champions League will continue on January 10/11.
