All dilemmas concerning the participating teams in the Champions League Final Four have been resolved.
Novi Beograd and Marseille collected points in the 5th round in the Quarter Final Group A and qualified for the final tournament, joining Ferencvaros and Barceloneta, which secured their F4 tickets yesterday.
Novi Beograd triumphed over Olympiacos in a thrilling match, winning 16:15. For Olympiacos, which was aiming for the European title, this loss ended their slim hopes of advancing to the Final Four.
Marseille demolished Jadran in Split – 18:6 and kept 1st place in the group.
By reaching the Final Four, Marseille made history, as it will make its debut in the Champions League semifinals. The French participated in the F8 tournaments, but they never advanced past their quarterfinal hurdle.
A question of 1st place is still open. Marseille and Novi Beograd have 12 points each, with Marseille having a better head-to-head score.
2024/25 Champions League, Quarter Final Stage, Round 5, Group A
Novi Beograd – Olympiacos 16:15 (5:3, 6:5, 2:2, 3:5)
Novi Beograd: Vlachopoulos 4, Martinovic 3, Gladovic 2, Vucinic 2, Cuk 1, Gbadamassi 1, Dimitrijevic 1, Perkovic 1, Lukic 1.
Olympiacos: Genidounias 4, Zalanki 3, Fountoulis 2, Kakaris 2, Nikolaidis 2, Pouros 1, Dimou 1
In the first encounter between Olympiacos and Novi Beograd in Piraeus, the first goal was scored in the 10th minute, with Novi Beograd eventually winning 8:5.
Today’s match started quite differently, suggesting it would be a high-scoring affair. Novi Beograd quickly took a 2:0 lead just 84 seconds into the game, with Bilal Gbadamassi scoring first from a close-range shot, followed by Nikola Lukic, who added a goal with a skillful lob. Kakaris then put the visitors on the scoreboard with a man-up goal. By the fourth minute, Novi Beograd had extended their lead to 4:1. However, Olympiacos’s center-forward, Nikolaidis, responded with two quick goals in 41 seconds, bringing them back into the match. Nonetheless, Vlachopoulos then restored Novi Beograd’s advantage to 5:3.
In the opening minutes of the second quarter, Novi Beograd rebuilt a 3-goal lead twice – 6:3 and 7:4 (both times, 18-year-old Gladovic was the scorer). Still, Olympiacos was able to come back once again, primarily thanks to the center-forwards, Kakaris and Nikolaidis, who scored goals and forced exclusions. The visitors reduced the gap to one (6:7). During this quarter, Olympiacos’ new coach, Doskas, made a goalkeeping switch, with Tzortzos replacing Zerdevas.However, that change didn’t improve the Greeks’ defense. Even though the visitors scored many goals, Novi Beograd had a 3-goal lead at halftime. Miroslav Perkovic converted a man-up for 11:8 in the dying seconds.
Both teams tightened their defenses in the second half, but Novi Beograd maintained a three-goal lead. Olympiacos managed to narrow the gap twice, scoring at 9:11 and 10:12. However, just as in the previous quarter, Novi Beograd concluded the period with a goal in the final moments. This time, Marko Dimitrijevic escaped the Greek defense and sent the ball into the net from the deep left for 13:10 with just seven seconds left on the clock.
Zalanki (OLY) and Lukic (NBG) Photo by Slobodan Sandic
However, the match was far from over. Olympiacos turned the tide in the final period, starting with a 4:0 run. Zalnaki opened the scoring, followed by Genidounias, who netted three consecutive goals. For the first time, Olympiacos took the lead at 14:13 with 3 minutes and 42 seconds left on the clock. Novi Beograd responded effectively; Vasilije Martinovic did the same as Genidounias. He scored three goals in a row, giving the hosts a 16:14 advantage with only 80 seconds remaining. Genidounias answered with his fourth goal, bringing the score closer. Olympiacos had a chance to equalize, but it ost possession of the ball during its final possesion. Novi Beograd maintained control until the end of the game, celebrating their victory and securing a ticket to the Final Four.
Jadran – Marseille 6:18 (0:4, 2:4, 1:5,3:5)
Jadran S: Butic 2, Buselic 1, Radan 1, Pejkovic 1,Fatovic 1.
Marseille: Bouet 5, Vernoux 4, Angyal 2, Crousillat 2, Spaic 2, Prlainovic 2, Bodegas 1.
Marseille continued its impressive run of performances in the Champions League, while Jadran, playing without captain Marinic-Kragic, was far from its best this evening.
Marseille quickly took control. In the fourth minute, Thomas Vernoux scored the first goal, making it 1:0. By the end of the first quarter, the French team had added three more goals, leading 4:0. Goalkeeper Petar Tesanovic played a important role in their successful start by making several key saves. Early in the second period, Prlainovic extended Marseille’s lead to 5:0. Jadran managed to score its first goal in the 12th minute, with Pejkovic finding the net. However, Marseille continued to dominate the match. In the 15th minute, Bodegas scored, making it 8:1, and it was clear that the Croatian champions had little chance of turning the game around.
Petar Tesanovic Photo by Laszlo Balogh
Everything worked well in Marseille’s play. The attack was excellent, as was the defense. Tesanovic collected seven saves in the first half.
A one-sided contest continued after the middle break. Jadran was demotivated, unlike Marseille, which ruled the field and achieved its most convincing win in the Champions League. Marseille had a man-up for four minutes in the fourth quarter, as Buselic was red-carded in the 25th minute. However, everything had already been decided by then.
Standings: 1. Marseille 12, 2. Novi Beograd 12, 3. Olympiacos 4, 4. Jadran S 2.
Head to head: Marseille – Novi Beograd 14:9 and 14:15.
All the results and the statistic on Total Waterpolo Arena
