Mladost made an impressive comeback in the semifinals of the Croatian League against Jug and advanced to the final, where it will face the title holder, Jadran Split. This evening, Mladost secured a 12:9 victory in the third match and returned to the national league final for the first time since 2021, when they won the trophy.
Mladost water polo players found themselves on the brink of elimination several times during the semifinal series. They lost the first game at home (8:10). In the second match, which took place in Dubrovnik, Jug maintained the lead for most of the match. However, Mladost managed to equalize with just 28 seconds remaining and ultimately won in a penalty shootout, prolonging the series to the third game.
Today’s match in Zagreb was yet another thriller, ending with a triumphant outcome for Mladost. The hosts made an 8:1 run in the last 12 minutes, after trailing by four goals in the middle of the third quarter.
Late in the first period, Jug earned a 2-goal lead for the first time at 3:1 and maintained that advantage until the mid-game break, leading 5:3. Marko Zuvela extended the visitors’ lead to 6:3 on their first possession of the second half. Sergi Cabanas capitalized on a man-up opportunity in the 20th minute, with a well-placed assist from Jokovic, bringing Jug to 8:4. Many believed the contest was over at this point.
Luka Bukic responded by scoring two back-to-back powerplay goals, cutting the deficit to 6:8. Maro Susic then gave Jug a 9:6 lead a minute and 45 seconds before the last break. However, that was Jug’s last goal of the match. Mladost dominated the fourth quarter, leaning on its superb defense. Goalkeeper Ivan Marcelic played a crucial role in the comeback, making several saves during critical moments. In the 27th minute, Franko Lazic leveled the score at 9:9 with a tricky shot. After this, Jug’s young goalkeeper Ivan Jurisic, who had performed well throughout the semifinal series, was replaced by experienced Toni Popadic. However, this change did not stop Mladost’s momentum. With two minutes remaining, Andrija Basic scored during a 6-on-5 possession to give Mladost the first lead of the match (10:9). With 48 seconds left, Luka Bukic added another powerplay goal, extending the hosts’ lead to 11:9. Jug attempted a miraculous comeback by having goalkeeper Toni Popadic join the attack, they were unable to score during their 7-on-6 attack. Marcelic posted another save (his 12th in the game), and Jug lost the ball, prompting Mladost to launch a counterattack. Biljaka sent the ball into the empty net, sealing Mladost’s victory.
Luka Bukic led Mladost with four goals, followed by Basic, Biljaka, and Lazic, each contributing two goals. Jug’s top scorers, Maro Jokovic and Marko Zuvela, each scored twice.
After finishing 5th in the Regional League, and losing the semifinals in the Croatian Cup and the Euro Cup, Mladost will play its first final this season. The series (best of five) starts in Split on May 7.
2025 Croatian League, playoffs, semifinals, 3rd games
1st – 4th place (best of three)
Mladost – Jug 12:9 (1:3, 2:2, 4:4, 5:0) – score in the series 2:1
5th– 8th place (best of two)
Mornar – Zadar 1952 16:13 (3:2, 5:3, 5:5, 3:3) – first leg 17:16
Mornar will play against Primorje in th 5th-place series.
