Italy beat Spain 18:16 after a penalty shootout, and Greece defeated France 17:16 in the first round of a three-day preparation tournament in Trebinje.
Nearly all the teams that are considered medal contenders for the upcoming European Championships in Belgrade (January 10-25) are competing in this tournament. In addition to the four teams that played in Round 1, Serbia and Hungary are also participating. The only two favorites absent from the tournament are Croatia and Montenegro, which are training together in Budva.
The encounter between Italy and Spain in Group A was a neck-and-neck race with numerous turns. Two goals separated the rivals only once – in the middle of the second quarter, Spain led 6:4. Still, at halftime, the teams were tied at 7:7. The series of turns continued in the third period. Italy entered the final eight minutes leading 12:11. However, Spain was very close to a win in the regular time, as it had a 15:14 lead from the 31st minute until the dying seconds. The World and European champions lost the ball on their last possession, and Italy got another chance to equalize. The “Settebello” forced an exclusion with just eight seconds left on the clock. Matteo Iocchi Gratta beat the buzzer, converting a man-up in the very last second to make it 15:15.
Italy’s goalkeeper Marco Del Lungo saved three shots, and Spain’s Edoardo Lorrio made one save in a shootout, which made the difference in an 18:16 victory.
Alvaro Granados, the winner of the 2025 Total Player Award, displayed an excellent performance, scoring eight goals. However, his efforts were not enough to secure a victory for Spain. Italy’s top scorers, Edoardo Di Somma, Vincenzo Dolce, and Alessandro Carnesechi, each contributed three goals.
Greece defeated France in Group B, even though it trailed for most of the match. The Greeks scored an opening goal, but France replied with two. In the second quarter, France earned a 2-goal lead. After 16 minutes, the score was 7:5. Greece chased the rival and leveled the score four times in a 13-goal third period, but it didn’t equalize. France was one step ahead with eight minutes remaining (13:12). Midway through the fourth period, Roman Marion Vernoux scored for 15:14. It turned out that it was France’s last lead in the match. Greece went on a 3:0 run. Young centre-forward Semir Spachits made it 17:15 in the 30th minute. France halved the gap in the last minute.
Alexandros Papanastasiou and Konstantinos Gkiouvetsis led Greece with four goals each. But, France’s Alexandre Bouet and Steven Vitrant were the match’s best scorers. Each found the net five times.
The second-round matches in Trebinje will be played this evening. Italy will play against Serbia, while Greece will face Hungary. The third round will take place on Sunday, and the matches for the final standings are scheduled for Monday.
Trebinje Cup 2026, Round 1
Group A: Italy – Spain 18:16 (3:2, 4:5, 5:4, 3:4, PSO 3:1). Serbia bye
Group B: Greece – France 17:16 (3:3, 2:4, 7:6, 5:3). Hungary bye
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