Brescia and Pro Recco achieved home wins in the 1st matches of the semifinals of the playoffs in Serie A1.
Brescia narrowly defeated Trieste, 9:8. The regular season winners found themselves in trouble in the first quarter, as Trieste took a 3:1 lead. However, Brescia took control in time. The hosts scored two goals in the last 38 seconds of the first period and equalized – 3:3. Brescia kept the momentum after the first break, scored three straight goals and went to 6:3. The hosts kept a 3-goal advantage until 8:5 (23rd minute). Trieste’s Podgornik closed the third quarter with a goal and added another at the beginning of the fourth, reducing the gap to one – 7:8 and bringing suspense back into the match. In the 27th minute, Jacopo Alesiani doubled Brescia’s advantage. Draskovic replied immediately. Nobody found the net in the remaining four and a half minutes, so Brescia recorded a 9:8 victory.
Pro Recco opened the semifinal series with a 13:8 victory over Savona. Recco established a significant advantage in the first half, leading 5:1 after the first eight minutes. By the middle of the second period, they increased their lead to 9:3. The ninth goal was scored by Gonzalo Echenique, who returned to the team of Recco in the match in Sabadell, following a six-month break due to an injury. Savona managed to score the last two goals of the first half, reducing the deficit to 5:9. The following 16 minutes were an even contest. Still, Savona was unable to threaten Recco’s victory. Ten players from Recco scored, with Younger, Condemi, and Hallock each netting two goals. For Savona, Pietro Figlioli and Cora also scored two goals. However, Figlioli will miss the next match due to an exclusion for a violent foul in the 32nd minute.
De Akker and Posillipo capitalized on home-field advantage in the first games of the 5th-8th place playoffs.
An encounter between De Akker and Ortigia was very exciting. The teams were tied at 8:8 before the final eight minutes. Ortigia took the lead twice in the fourth quarter (9:8 and 10:9), but De Akker made a turn, scoring the last two goals to secure an 11:10 win.
2025 Italian League, playoffs, semifinals (best of three), 1st games
1st – 4th place
Brescia – Trieste 9:8 (3:3, 3:1, 2:2, 1:2)
Pro Recco – Savona 13:8 (5:1, 4:4, 2:2, 2:1)
5th-8th place
Posillipo – Roma Vis Nova 11:8 (3:1, 1:1, 4:2, 3:4)
De Akker – Ortigia 11:10 (3:2, 3:2, 2:4, 3:2)
