After a New Year/Christmas break, during which many national teams started preparing for the demanding season, European water polo has begun returning to its regular rhythm.
Three national leagues (Greece, Croatia, Germany) continued last weekend. Tomorrow, the Champions League will restart.
The first Champions League matchday in 2023 brings a big derby in Piraeus. The highlight of the fifth round will be an encounter between two unbeaten sides in Group A. Olympiacos welcomes Barceloneta on Tuesday.
2022/23 Champions League Day 5, Preview
Group A
Olympiacos and Barceloneta have perfect records after four rounds in Group A.
Olympiacos is the only Champions League club that hasn’t suffered a defeat in all competitions since the start of the season. Barceloneta lost to Sabadell in the Spanish League.
Olympiacos opened the season with a very significant win over Pro Recco. After that, it collected points in away matches against Waspo Hannover, Dinamo Tbilisi, and Jadran Split. Barceloneta started its Champions League campaign with away victories over Dinamo and Vouliagmeni. The Spaniards achieved two very convincing wins at home in the last two rounds in 2023 (over Hannover and Radnicki)
Last season, Olympiacos and Barceloneta faced off twice in Group A. The games were very similar to each other, but the winners were different. Olympiacos defeated Barceloneta in Piraeus, thanks to an excellent defense (8:4). Barceloneta took revenge with a 9:5 victory on home ground. The game in Barcelona was one of the turning points in the battle for the F8 spots in Group A. Barceloneta continued chasing a place at the Final Eight (and achieved the goal). Olympiacos didn’t recover from that loss and finished the season without a Final Eight ticket.
Alberto Munarriz (Barceloneta) Photo by Dj.Kostic/VK Novi Beograd
Before the derby, Igor Milanovic said:
“Barceloneta plays very fast, very well in defense, with enough flexibility in their game. I really like this way of playing. After all, that’s how we try to play as well. We have a lot in common in defense, especially in the strategy we choose to have in the water. I believe a lot in my team, and I believe a lot in the hearts of my players. At home, in front of our audience, we will give our best for this game, and I believe it will be enough to win.”
Both rosters differ slightly compared to the teams that played in the last season. Barceloneta lost one of the stars Alvaro Granados. Olympiacos kept its key players and signed Marton Vamos and Alexandros Papanastasiou.
Olympiacos’ addition was the head coach Igor Milanovic. Since last year, Elvis Fatovic has coached Barceloneta. Milanovic and Fatovic were rivals as players three decades ago. They had several clashes in their coaching careers when Milanovic guided Partizan and Fatovic was Jug’s head coach. Milanovic was more successful in these duels.
Tomorrow, Igor Milanovic’s side is the favorite, but the team coached by Fatovic, isn’t an underdog in Piraeus, that’s sure. Both teams have many water polo stars on their rosters. A big clash is in sight.
Barceloneta’s disadvantage might be the fact that several players returned to Europe at the end of the last week after a tour with the national team of Spain in the USA and participation in a three-nation tournament with Serbia and the USA. But, some other teams (Novi Beograd and Radnicki) have had the same difficulties in preparing for the games. Still, none of the clubs asks for excuses and enters the second part motivated.
The game Olympiacos – Barceloneta begins at 19:00 (18:00 CET). Another very important match will start in another Athens suburb, 25 km south of Piraeus, simultaneously. Vouliagmeni and Jadran Split will face off. These two teams are serious contenders for 4th place in the group and have played quite well since the start of the season. Just like in the match Olympiacos – Barcelona, the Greeks are slight favorites, only because of the home field.
The remaining two games in Group A don’t promise much excitement. Waspo Hannover, which still seeks its first win, will host Pro Recco. But the match against the European champion isn’t an opportunity for the first points in the season.
Last season, Radnicki beat Dinamo by seven goals (14:7) in Kragujevac. Photo by KVK Radnicki
Dinamo Tbilisi, which has no points, as well as Hannover, arrives in Serbia to play against Radnicki. The Kragujevac-based side didn’t shine in the first four matches. It dropped two points in the game against Vouliagmeni. Then it barely saved a win over Hannover. Radnicki finished the year with two painful defeats. The Serbs conceded 39 goals in two games (Pro Recco beat them 21:12, and Barceloneta recorded an 18:9 win). So, Radnicki needs a convincing win to regain their self-confidence and get back into the race for the F8 berths. The Serbs count on extensive support from their fans. The entrance will be free.
Day 5, Tuesday, January 10
Olympiacos – Barceloneta (19:00)
Vouliagmeni – Jadran Split (19:00)
Waspo Hannover – Pro Recco (19:00)
Radnicki – Dinamo Tbilisi (20:30)
All times are local
Standings: 1. Barceloneta 12 (+34), 2. Olympiacos 12 (+28), 3. Pro Recco 9, 4. Jadran S 6, 5. Vouliagmeni 4 (-6), 6. Radnicki 4 (-17), 7. Waspo Hannover 0 (-27), 8.Dinamo Tbilisi 0 (-37)
Follow the scores and statistics on Total Waterpolo Arena
Group B
The fifth round in Group B starts with an encounter between Jug and Sabadell. The Croats opened the season with a convincing loss to Brescia at home, but Jug has played better and better after that. It earned a point in a match with Novi Beograd in Belgrade. Jug lost to Ferencvaros three weeks ago, but it didn’t disappoint in Budapest. The Croats aim to keep momentum, while Sabadell is still without a win. The LEN Euro Cup winner has earned only one point so far (a 9:9 draw with Spandau in Spain). We consider Jug the favorite, but the Croatian champion can’t count on easy points.
Spandau and Ferencvaros will play in Berlin. The Berliners’ win would be a surprise. Still, Spandau has caused headaches to the favorites in the previous few rounds and Ferencvaros has to respect its next rival.
Marseille welcomes the group leader Novi Beograd. These two teams met in the quarterfinals last season. Novi Beograd recorded a convincing victory (16:10). It’s hard to expect the next encounter between the French and the Serbian champions to be another one-sided contest. Marseille, which earned its first win in the season, beating Spandau in the 4th round, has a chance. Remember, Marseille proved its potential with an excellent performance against Ferencvaroos in Budapest. But it couldn’t keep its rhythm until the end and lost the game.
Nikola Jaksic (NBG) in front of Marseille’s defense Photo by VK Novi Beograd
“Marseille has only four points, but that isn’t a realistic parameter of the French’s quality. They played very well and deserved more than four points. We expect a difficult game”, Novi Beograd coach Zivko Gocic said and added that his team had problems with injuries and illnesses. Brothers Strahinja and Viktor Rasovic won’t play in Marseille.
The fifth round will end with a duel between Italian No.2 and Hungarian No.2. Brescia will host OSC Budapest. The Italians got off to an excellent start in the season, beating Jug, Ferencvaros, and Sabadell convincingly. But in the fourth round, Novi Beograd halted their winning streak. OSC had some bad and great moments in the first three months of the season 2022/23. Still, it seems that the Hungarians have reached good shape. However, it’s challenging to take away points in Brescia.
Day 5, Wednesday, January 11
Jug – Sabadell (19:00)
Spandau 04 – Ferencvaros (19:30)
Marseille – Novi Beograd (20:00)
Brescia – OSC Budapest (20:30)
All times are local
Follow the scores and statistics on Total Waterpolo Arena
Standings: 1.Novi Beograd 10, 2. Brescia 9 (+10), 3. Ferencvaros 9 (+2), 4. OSC Budapest 5, 5. Marseille 4, 6.Jug 4, 7. Spandau 04 2, 8. Sabadell 1
