Partizan, Primorac and Waspo98 Hannover won the most important games on Day 1 of the LEN Euro Cup qualifications, which started today in four cities. All three teams continue the competition with realistic chances to qualify for the group stage.
Partizan beat Telimar Palermo in Duisburg after a penalty shootout. If there are no surprises in the following matches, two points that Partizan took may be crucial in the race for 2nd place and a ticket for the next phase.
Primorac and Waspo98 Hannover opened a very balanced group in Kotor with narrow wins over Panathinaikos and Terrassa, respectively.
2023/24 LEN Euro Cup, Qualifications, Day 1
Group A (Sabac)
Ortigia – Valis 17:10 (4:2, 6:1, 2:3, 5:4)
Ortigia: Cassia 4 Napolitano 3, La Rosa 2, Di Luciano 2, Inaba 2, Giribaldi 1 Cupido 1, A.Condemi 1 Ferrero 1.
Valis Vega: Kovacevic 3, Rogac 2, Radanovic 2, P.Mitrovic 1, Petrovski 1, Brkic 1.
Sabac – Dinamo 15:4 (6:2, 3:1, 4:1, 2:0)
Sabac Elixir:Stojanovic 6, Maras 2, Krug 2, Stanic 2, Novakovic 1, Toholj 1, Korac 1.
Dinamo Bucharest:Lutescu 1, Pirianu 1, Kovats 1, Kari 1.
Noisy-le-Sec bye
Two of three favorites for the top two spots in Group A opened the qualifications with convincing wins. Host Sabac easily beat Dinamo Bucharest. Ortigia broke another Serbian club, Valis, in the first half. The third favorite, Noisy-le-Sec, starts tomorrow.
Group F (Duisburg)
Partizan – Telimar 17:15 (2:3, 3:5, 4:1, 3:3, PSO 5:3)
Partizan: Gladovic 7, Draskovic 4, Giga 2, P. Tomic 1, Trtovic 1, Bozovic 1, Smiljevic 1.
Telimar Palermo: Q.Woodhead 3, Occhione 3, Giorgetti 3, Hooper 3, Vitale 1, Lo Cascio 1, Lo Dico 1.
ASC Duisburg – Sete 9:10 (4:1, 2:2, 1:3, 2:4)
ASC Duisburg: Seifert 4, Eidner 1, Illinger 1, Kueppers 1, Gusakov 1, Gergelyfi 1.
Sete: Dentro 6, Van den Burg 2, Lasseron 1, Gomes Da Silva 1.
Savona bye
Partizan beat Telimar in a very exciting duel and made a big step towards the next round. Still, the tournament is long. Telimar earned a 3-goal lead midway through the second quarter (5:2) and maintained the difference until the middle break (8:5). Partizan leveled at 8:8 in the 23rd minute, and from that point on, the teams traded the goals. Telimar took a one-goal lead four times. Partizan equalized on each occasion. Twelve seconds before the end, Luka Gladovic (the MVP of this year’s European U17 Championships) nailed his 6th goal to set the score of a regular time – 12:12. Gladovic was Partizan’s hero in the regular time, and a 17-year-old goalkeeper David Dimkovic made a difference in a shootout by saving a shot from Lo Dico in the 4th round.
The duel between ASC Duisburg and Sete was also a thriller. ASC Duisburg got off to an excellent start (5:1). Still, Sete managed to come back and level the score at 8:8 and 9:9. It seemed that the spectators in Duisburg will watch one more penalty shootout. However, Maurice Dentro scored a winner for Sete with six seconds to go.
Group E (Athens)
OSC Budapest – Tenerife Echeyde 20:11 (6:5, 4:2, 5:3, 5:1)
OSC Budapest: Vin. Vigvari 4, Baksa 3, Gaszt 2, Ten Broek 2, Toth 2, Salamon 2, Rossi 2, Harai 2, Aranyi 1.
Tenerife: Espanol 3, Salvador 3, Molthen 2, Andion 1, Mercado 1, Soriano 1.
Panionios – White Sharks 23:7 (5:1, 7:2, 5:1, 6:3)
Panionios: Mourikis , Gkiouvetsis 3, Moskov 3, Gounas 3, Ukropina 3, Papakos 2, Kalaitzis 2, Kapetanikis 2, Grammatikos 1.
White Sharks Hannover:F.Roterrmund 2, J.Roterrmund 1, Grosse 1, Bruns 1, Stankovic 1, Huelshoff 1.
Honved bye
OSC Budapest and host Panionios were merciless to their rivals in the first round of the group in Athens. The top favorite, Honved, starts tomorrow.
Group H (Kotor)
Primorac – Panathinaikos 8:7 (2:1, 1:2, 2:1, 3:3)
Primorac Kotor: Dr.Brguljan 2, Mrsic 2, P.Cetkovic 2, Gopcevic 1, Vico 1.
Panathinaikos:Agkortsas 4, Dermitzakis 2, Sgouridis 1.
Waspo 98 Hannover – Terrassa 7:6 (2:1, 1:2, 3:1, 1:2)
Waspo 98 Hannover:Basic 3, Schipper 2, gansen 1, Benic 1.
Terrassa: Bargallo 2, Cuacos 2, Lopez Escribano 1, Chico 1.
Peristeri bye
Host Primorac had a 7:4 lead early in the fourth period, but the game was open until the end. Panathinaikos cut the deficit to one twice at the finish – 6:7 (31st minute), and 7:8 (32nd minute), but it couldn’t equalize.
The second match of the day was similar to the encounter between Primorac and Panathinaikos. It was an even contest. Hannover entered the final quarter leading 6:4.. Terrassa halved the difference. But, In the 30th minute, Hannover replied to retake a 2-goal lead (7:5). Terrassa narrowed the gap in the last minute but didn’t go further.
Day 2 (September 22)
Group A (Sabac): Dinamo Bucharest – Ortigia (18:00), Sabac Elixir – Noisy-le-Sec (20:00). Valis Vega bye.
Group B (Budapest): BVSC Zuglo – Ludwigsburg (18:20), Vasas – Mataro (20:00).
Group C (Tourcoing): Szolnok Dosza – Tourcoing (18:30),Pays d’Aix – Trieste (20:30)
Group D (Rijeka): Solaris – Oradea (18:00), Primorje EB – SPD Radnicki (19:45)
Group E (Athens): White Sharks – EPS Honved (18:30 – 17:30 CET), Tenerife – Panionios (20:30 – 19:30). OSC Budapest bye.
Group F (Duisburg): Sete – Savona (18:00), ASC Duisburg – Telimar (20:00). Partizan bye.
Group G (Barcelona): Mladost – Apollon (16:00), Barcelona – OSC Potsdam (18:00)
Group H (Kotor): Primorac – Terrassa (17:45), Peristeri – Panathinaikos (20:00). Waspo98 Hannover bye
More articles about the LEN Euro Cup
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