The big match of Day 8 in Group A of the Champions League was an encounter between two former European champions. Jug hosted Olympiacos. But, the game didn’t offer expected excitements. After a slow start, Jug dominated and recorded a convincing 13:9 victory.
Spandau 04 produced a big surprise, by defeating 2017 European champion Szolnok in Hungary (8:7).
Barceloneta was better than Jadran Split (16:12). Since Olympiacos lost the game against Jug, Barceloneta climbed in the 1st place. Barceloneta and Olympiacos have collected 19 points each, but the Spaniards had a better goal difference (the match between Barceloneta and Olympiacos in the sixth round was ended in an 11:11 draw) . Jug is just a point behind the Spaniards and the Greeks.
Jadran Herceg Novi beat Sintez in Kazan 15:11.
Champions League 2019/20, Day 8
Group A
Jug – Olympiacos 13:9 (4:3, 5:1, 2:3, 2:2)
Jug: Fatovic 3, Loncar 3, Obradovic 3, Krzic 1, Garcia 1, Papanastasiou 1, Benic 1.
Olympiacos: Jokovic 2, Mitrovic 1, Mylonakis 1, Skoumpakis 1, Genidounias 1, Buljubasic 1, Gounas 1.
Jug took revenge for a 5:6 defeat to Olympiacos in the 7th round.
The Greeks opened the match very well and they were leading 3:1 in the fourth minute. But after that, Jug kept Olympiacos goalless for 11:04 minutes, while the Croats netted six goals in a row and jumped to a 7:3 lead two minutes before the middle break. Olympiacos couldn’t recover from that shock.
At halftime, Jug had a 5-goal advantage (9:4). Loren Fatovic opened the third period with a goal from a penalty to increase the margin to six (10:4). Olympiacos replied with three goals in a row (7:10), but Hrvoje Benic gave the hosts an 11:7 lead five seconds before the end of the third quarter, and Jug secured the calm finish of the game.
Loren Fatovic, Luka Loncar and Paulo Obradovic were the best scorers. Each of them netted three goals.
Olympiacos suffered the first loss in the 2020 Champions League, after six wins and a draw. Pro Recco, the leader of Group B, remains the only unbeaten side in this season.
Szolnok – Spandau 04 7:8 (3:2, 2:2, 2:3, 0:1)
Szolnok Dosza: Lazic 2, Dory 2, Varnai 2, Jansik 1.
Spandau 04: Restovic 2, Saudadier 1, Cuk 1, Negrean 1, Juengling 1, Strelezkij 1, Pjesivac 1.
Szolnok defeated Spandau in the 7th round in December by four goals (14:10). Today’s encounter was a close battle from the beginning.
Szolnok was leading for most of the time, but it couldn’t earn an advantage bigger than two goals. In the 15th minute, Szolnok was 5:3 up, but the Berliners equalized early in the third period (5:5). Szolnok went ahead twice in the third quarter (6:5 and 7:6). Spandau equalized on both occasions.
It took almost four minutes before the first (and the only) goal in the fourth period was scored. Maurice Juengling converted a man-up for 7:6 with 04:07 minutes to go. Although Szolnok fought hard to earn at least a point, Spandau kept the advantage. Ten seconds before the end, Szolnok had an excellent opportunity to equalize with an extra player. Still, Spandau’s goalie Laszlo Baksa, a former member of the Hungarian national team, saved a shot from Dory, and the visitors celebrated a great victory.
Despite the loss, Szolnok remains in 4th place. Spandau kept a chance to reach the 4th position,, but Spandau had to make a few more surprises to secure a ticket for the Final Eight in Genoa.
Barceloneta – Jadran S 16:12 (3:3, 3:2, 5:5, 5:2)
Zodiac CNA Barceloneta: Granados 5, Bodegas 4, Mallarach 3, Perrone 2, Munarriz 1, Larumbe 1.
Jadran Split: Zovic 2, Buric 2, Power 2, Krapic 1, Vrdoljak 1, Viskovic 1, Delic 1, Setka 1, Bego 1.
Barceloneta’s defense, commanded by the best goalkeeper at the European Championships in Budapest Dani Lopez, wasn’t excellent today, but the Spaniards collected three points.
Jadran played much better than in the game against Barceloneta in Split in December (the Spaniards won 13:5).
The game was an even contest for three quarters. The sides were tied at 9:9 two minutes before the last break. The hosts gained an 11:9 lead, but Jadran cut the deficit seven seconds from the end of the third period (10:11). Barceloneta took control in the final eight minutes and two minutes from the end built a safe 14:11 lead. Everything was decided, Jadran couldn’t come back. Alvaro Granados, who scored five goals, and Michael Bodegas (4 goals) led Barceloneta to the win.
Sintez – Jadran HN 11:15 (4:6, 3:4, 3:0, 1:5)
Sintez Kazan: Bugaychuk 4, Lazarev 2, Andryukov 2, Mironov 1, Mironov 1, Zinurov 1.
Jadran Carine Herceg Novi: Popadic 3, Bancevic 2, Petkovic 2, Averka 2, Gardasevic 2, Cagalj 1, Cagalj 1, Mijuskovic 1, Brkic 1.
Montenegrin champion Jadran, playing without a few injured players, secured a valuable victory. At halftime, Jadran led 10:7, but the hosts dominated the third period and leveled the score – 10:10. Still, the visitors retook control after the last break. Jadran scored five unanswered goals for a 15:10 advantage. The Russians’ consolation goal came 17 seconds from the end.
1 Barceloneta (ESP) 8 – 19 (+26)
2 Olympiacos 8 – 19 (+15)
3 Jug (CRO) 8 – 18
4 Szolnok (HUN) 8 – 12
5 Jadran HN (MNE) 8 – 10
6 Spandau (GER) 8 – 8
7 Jadran S (CRO) 8 – 4
8 Sintez (RUS) 8 – 3
Group B (yesterday)
Ferencvaros – OSC Budapest 8:11 (1:2, 2:2, 3:2, 2:5)
Marseille – Mladost 11:14 (1:3, 4:6, 4:2, 2:3)
Dinamo Tbilisi – Pro Recco 3:13 (0:3, 2:6, 1:3, 0:1)
Terrassa – Hannover 11:10 (3:2, 1:3, 2:2, 5:3)
1 Pro Recco (ITA) 8 – 20
2 Ferencvaros (HUN) 8 – 17
3 OSC Budapest (HUN) 8 – 16
4 Mladost (CRO) 8 – 16
5 Terrassa (ESP) 8 – 12
6 Marseille (FRA) 8 – 9
7 Hannover (GER) 8 – 3
8 Dinamo (GEO) 8 – 0
Day 9
Group A (22 February)
Spandau Berlin – Sintez
Olympiacos – Barceloneta
Jadran Herceg Novi – Jadran Split
Szolnok – Jug
Group B (21 February)
Waspo Hannover – Dinamo Tbilisi
Mladost – Ferencvaros
Pro Recco – OSC Budapest
Terrassa– Marseille
