After two thrilling matches in the Champions League Quarterfinal Group A on Thursday, the second round of Group B didn’t offer much excitement. The favorites achieved convincing victories.
Ferencvaros defeated Savona in Italy by eight goals (17:9). Although the home team put in a strong effort to make the game competitive, Ferencvaros secured the three points well before the match concluded.
Barceloneta earned the first three points in the quarterfinal stage. The Spaniards ran over Oradea – 17:4.
Overall, everything unfolded as expected this evening.
Champions League 2024/25, Quarterfinal Stage, Day 2, Group B
Savona – Ferencvaros 9:17 (1:5, 4:4, 3:4, 1:4)
Ferencvaros: Argyropoulos 6, Manhercz 4, Di Somma 2, Nagy 2, Vamos 1, V.Varga 1, De Toro 1.
Savona: Patchaliev 3, Bruni 2, Guidi 2,Rocchi 1, Rizzo 1.
Ferencvaros set the pace right from the opening whistle, earning a 3:0 lead. Patchaliev scored the first goal for Savona in the 6th minute. Ferencvaros quickly regained a three-goal advantage on the next possession. Krisztian Manhercz closed the first quarter by scoring from 2 meters following a nice assist from Jansik. It was his third goal from as many attempts.
By the end of the first quarter, Ferencvaros led Savona by four goals. Despite playing without Pietro Figlioli, who received a red card in the game against Olympiacos in December, Savona did not give up easily. The hosts managed to net two consecutive goals, both during man-up situations, cutting the deficit to 3:5. Savona had another chance with a 6-on-5 advantage but missed the opportunity. That was a wake-up call for the visitors. Ferencvaros converted their following two man-ups within 45 seconds, extending its lead to 7:3. Throughout the rest of the first half, the teams exchanged goals, allowing Ferencvaros to maintain a four-goal lead at 9:5.
Savona’s coach Angelini switched goalkeepers at the middle break – Da Rold replaced Nicosia. However, this substitution did not give positive results. Within less than a minute of play in the third period, Ferencvaros went to 11:5, thanks to Argyropoulos scoring from an extra player shot and Di Somma netting a goal during a counterattack. Savona managed to narrow the gap to four goals on two occasions (6:11 and 8:12). Despite their strong effort, Savona didn’t endanger the Hungarian team’s large advantage. The Hungarians had a five-goal lead before the final eight minutes approached, with Argyropoulos scoring his fourth goal to make it 13:8. In the final quarter, Ferencvaros knocked down the rival.
A new convincing win came even though Dusan Mandic, the double winner of the Total Player Award, didn’t score (he had only two shots), but made three assists. This time, Stylianos Argyropoulos led the visitors’ attack. He scored six goals from eight attempts.
Barceloneta – Oradea 17:4 (2:1, 3:0, 6:2, 6:1)
Barceloneta: Granados 3, Bustos 3 Vigvari 3, Sanahuja 2 , Tahull 2, Gomilla 1, Valls 1, Burian 1, Biel 1.
Oradea: Velkic 2, Gusarov 1, Gardasevic 1.
Barceloneta was a heavy favorite against the Romanian club, which played without pressure and didn’t carry the white flag in Spain. Barceloneta initially needed some time to take control of the match. After a close first quarter that ended 2:1, the hosts extended their lead to 3:1 when Valls scored during a rapid man-up attack. By the end of the first half, Barceloneta increased their lead to 5:1, beginning to break Oradea’s resistance.
Bernat Sanahuja Photo: CNA Barceloneta
However, Oradea hadn’t said its last word yet. Centre-forward Petar Velkic ended the visitors’ goalless phase in their first possession in the second half. In the middle of the third period, he added another goal and Oradea trailed 3:5. Barceloneta’s coach Elvis Fatovic called a time out, which was a turning point. After a minute break, the Spaniards started dominating. Barceloneta scored six goals in four and a half minutes and jumped to 11:3 before the final period. The hosts didn’t slow in the fourth quarter, so they improved their goal-difference after a 10:18 loss in Budapest.
Standings: 1. Ferencvaros 6, 2. Barceloneta 3, 3. Savona 3, 4. Oradea o.
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