Novi Beograd hosts Radnicki in big match of Round 3 of VRL Premier League

October 17, 2025

Valiko Dadvani (Radnicki) and Milos Cuk (Novi Beograd) Photo by Slobodan Sandic

Most of the VRL Premier League clubs have played in the European cups this week, and from Saturday to Monday, they will return to the regional competition.

The highlight of the round will be the encounter between Novi Beograd and Radnicki, scheduled for Monday.

Before the Serbian derby, there are three games on the program.

The round opens with Saturday’s match between Primorac and Crvena Zvezda in Kotor. Neither team is in a good moment ahead of the duel. On Wednesday, Primorac was left empty-handed in a dramatic Champions League match against Brescia, which was one of the most important games for qualifying for the quarter-final stage. Crvena Zvezda was seriously shocked by a convincing defeat against Sabac in the second round of the Premier League.

On Sunday, two matches will take place, where anything but victories for the home teams would be a significant surprise. Jadran will host Buducnost in Herceg Novi. The Montenegrin champions have achieved two crucial victories in the past ten days, defeating Radnicki in Kragujevac and starting their Champions League campaign with a win against Jadran Split. Sabac, which has gained momentum, like Jadran, will face the young Partizan team in its pool. This season, Sabac has already defeated Primorac and Crvena Zvezda in the VRL League, as well as Steaua in the Euro Cup.

Finally, on Monday, the third round closes with the big match at the Belgrade pool “11 April” – a duel between Novi Beograd and Radnicki, the clubs that won silver medals in the Champions League and the European Cup, respectively, a few months ago. They have met in most of the final matches in both the Serbian Championships and the Serbian Cup in the past several seasons.

Last year, the clubs switched roles. Novi Beograd rejuvenated its team, while Radnicki strengthened significantly, taking on the role of favorite. In the 2024/25 season, the two clubs met seven times, with Novi Beograd winning three matches and Radnicki four. However, the Kragujevac-based side was better in key matches at the end of the season, clinching both the Serbian Championship and the Regional League. Novi Beograd defended their Serbian Cup, defeating Kragujevac in the semi-finals.

During this year’s transfer window, the gap in quality between the two teams has widened, at least on paper. Novi Beograd continued to rejuvenate its roster, while Kragujevac signed new, experienced, world-class water polo players, including Angelos Vlahopoulos, a key player for Novi Beograd over the past four seasons.

Radnicki water polo players did not excel at the beginning of the season. Playing without Nikola Jaksic, they lost to Jadran in the VRL League and barely managed to secure three points against Vasas in their first Champions League match. The favorites in both the VRL League and the Champions League have not yet reached their full potential.

Novi Beograd hasn’t reached the peak of its shape, either, but it has shown that it is physically prepared very well. The Belgrade team opened its Champions League campaign with an anticipated defeat against the powerful team of Pro Recco. However, aside from the first quarter, Novi Beograd didn’t disappoint with its performance, showing its potential.

The match against Radnicki will be just as challenging for Novi Beograd as the duel with Pro Recco. However, the Kragujevac team can’t expect an easy task either. Radnicki has only beaten Novi Beograd once at “11. april,” exactly three years ago at the start of the 2022/23 Serbian Championship.