Ferencvaros and Barceloneta have confirmed their spots in the Champions League Final Four in Malta.
Both teams achieved victories in the fifth round of Group B, mathematically qualifying for the final tournament. While this outcome was anticipated, neither of the favorites had an easy win today.
Ferencvaros faced Savona. The Hungarians maintained the lead throughout the game, but Savona did not give up easily. After falling behind by four goals early on, the Italians fought back and managed to cut the deficit to one goal late in the third period. However, Ferencvaros held their ground and ultimately secured a 15:11 victory.
Barceloneta found itself trailing by two goals in the first half against Oradea. The Spaniards took some time to find their rhythm, but they eventually emerged victorious – 14:8.
It’s almost certain that Ferencvaros will go to F4 from 1st place, and that Barceloneta will stay in position 2. Two points separate the teams. In the last round, Ferencvaros will host Oradea, and Barceloneta will play a home game against Savona.
2024/25 Champions League, Quarter Final Stage, Round 5, Group B
Ferencvaros – Savona 15:11 (5:1, 3:4, 2:3, 5:3)
Ferencvaros: Argyropoulos 4, Manhercz 3, Ad. Nagy 2, Vamos 2, Di Somma 1, Mandic 1, Vigvari 1, Jansik 1.
Savona: Rizzo 3, Merkulov 2, Guidi 2,Erdelyi 2, Bruni 1, Gullotta 1
Ferencvaros started very strongly. Playing excellently in defense (Danial Szakonyi was in front of the goal for the entire match), the hosts kept Savona scoreless until the 7th minute. Before Savona’s first goal, the Hungarians netted four. Immediately after Rizzo made it 1:4 with an extra player, his countryman Edoardo Di Somma gave Ferencvaros a 5:1 lead. The Hungarian side widened the gap to five in the second period (6:1, 7:2, 8:3).
But in the final minutes of the first half, Ferencvaros’ attack stalled. Savona’s goalkeeper Gianmarco Nicosia started posting one save after another. The Italians netted three straight goals and reduced their deficit to 6:8 early in the third quarter. Ferencvaros went through a goalless phase that lasted seven and a half minutes, which was broken by Dusan Mandic. He converted a man-up opportunity from the deep right to make it 9:6. However, the Hungarians didn’t enjoy a 3-goal lead for long. Savona came very close in the 23rd minute, after Rizzo scored for 8:9. Szilard Jansik doubled Ferencvaros’ advantage in the following possession. Hence, the title holder had a 10:8 advantage at the last break.
Krisztian Manhercz opened the fourth period with a goal for 11:8. Guidi replied, but midway through this period, the game was decided. Argyropoulos scored two back-to-back goals *the first one from a man-up, the second one from a penalty shot) and Ferencvaros earned a safe 13:9 lead with 03:58 minutes remaining. The Hungarians’ defense was up to the task in crucial moments, they killed several Savona’s man-ups in the fourth period, and maintained a four-goal lead until the end.
Oradea – Barceloneta 8:14 (2:3, 3:2, 3:5, 0:4)
Oradea: Gardasevic 3, Belenyesi 1, Gheorghe 1, Insinna 1, Lucian 1, Velkic 1.
Barceloneta:Granados 4, Bustos 3, Sanahuja 2, Burian 2, Biel 2, Lema 1,
Barceloneta took a one-goal lead three times in the first quarter and entered the second period with a score of 3:2. However, after the break, the Romanian team took control of the game. Strong defensive plays and a few mistakes made by the visiting squad boosted the home side’s confidence. The Romanians went on a 3:0 run, and in the 12th minute, Darian Luncan scored from a distance to make it 5:3. Despite struggling on offense, Barceloneta managed to equalize by halftime. They entered the last minute of the first half trailing by one goal. Granados had the chance to equalize with a penalty shot with 30 seconds left, but his former teammate from Novi Beograd, Lazar Dobozanov, made the save (he posted 14 saves tonight). Nevertheless, 17 seconds before halftime, Biel scored from a counterattack and equalized – 5:5.
In the middle of the third period, Burian scored the first goal of the second half, giving Barceloneta a 6:5 lead. The teams then exchanged goals for a while until Granados converted a penalty, for 8:6 in the 22nd minute. By the end of the third period, Oradea managed to cut their deficit twice, but each time Granados responded with a goal, allowing Barceloneta to maintain a 2-goal advantage heading into the final period (10:8).
The score remained unchanged for five minutes in the fourth quarter. Then, Alejando Bustos scored two power-play goals within 61 seconds, Barceloneta went to 12:8. In the last minute, the visitors added two more goals.
Standings: 1. Ferencvaros 13, 2. Barceloneta 11, 3. Savona 6, 4. Oradea 0.
Group A (April 23)
Standings: 1. Marseille 9, 2. Novi Beograd 9, 3. Olympiacos 4, 4. Jadran S 2.
Head to head: Marseille – Novi Beograd 14:9 and 14:15.
All matches start at 20.00 CET. Follow the live scores and the statistics on Total Waterpolo Arena
