In the first leg of the Euro Cup Quarterfinals, home teams achieved two victories, while visiting teams secured one win, and one match concluded in a draw.
Sabadell is the team closest to reaching the semifinals, having defeated Primorac by a significant margin of eight goals (17:9).
Pro Recco and Mladost also made important strides towards the semifinals; Pro Recco earned an away victory against Vasas (11:9), and Mladost triumphed over Jadran Herceg Novi in Zagreb, winning 12:8. However, nothing is impossible in the return matches in Italy and Montenegro. Both defeated teams are still in the race. Jadran will play at home, and Vasas proved it was able to offer a strong resistance to Pro Recco.
One of the four duels is widely open, as the first match between Brescia and Radnicki ended in a 9:9 draw.
The return matches will be played on March 20
2024/25 Euro Cup, Quarterfinals, 1st leg
Vasas – Pro Recco 9:11 (2:3, 2:2, 2:2, 3:4)
Vasas:Djurdjic 4, Batori 2, Dedovic 1, Randjelovic 1, Mijic 1.
Pro Recco: Cannella 4, Younger 2, Di Fulvio 2, Vujosevic 1, Iocchi Gratta 1, Condemi 1.
Even though Recco was the visiting team, the Italian champion was a slight favorite, partly because Vasas’ coach, Slobodan Nikic, couldn’t count on the first-pick goalkeeper Marton Levai. Recco led most of the match, but it couldn’t earn a big lead before the final quarter. Vasas scored the first goal in the game. Already in the first minute, Bogdan Djurdjic converted a penalty. Aaron Younger responded with two goals (the second was from the 5m line) and put Recco in front in the 5th minute. The teams traded the goals from that point until the end of the first half. Pro Recco took a one-goal lead three times, but Vasas chased them and leveled at 2:2, 3:3, 4:4.
At halftime, the score was 5:4. It took nearly five minutes for the first goal in the second half to be scored. Condemi increased the lead to two (6:4). However, Vasas fought back with goals from Randjelovic and Batori to level the score at 6:6. Canella then scored an action goal just 13 seconds before the end of the quarter, giving Reco a 7:6 advantage.
Francesco Di Fulvio against Vasas Photo by Laszlo Balogh
The visitors opened the final period with two quick goals (Di Fulvio and Vujosevic) for 9:6. Iocchi Gratta made it 10:6. However, Vasas didn’t surrender. The Budapest-based team scored three unanswered goals in 03:14 minutes. Dedovic closed the gap to 9:10 in the 31st minute. Recco earned a man-up advantage in its last possession. The hosts defended themselves while being a man-down. Still, after a block, the ball went to the Italians, who battled out for a new attack. Francesco Di Fulvio set the final score with 19 seconds remaining.
Mladost – Jadran Herceg Novi 12:8 (2:1, 3:0, 5:4, 2:3)
Mladost: Milos 3, M.Vrlic 2, Bukic 2, Vukicevic 2, Kharkov 2, Lazic 1.
Jadran Herceg Novi: V.Radovic 4, Gojkovic 2,Vujovic 1, Stupar 1.
Mladost defeated Jadran Herceg Novi for the first time this season after suffering two losses in the Regional League. The Croats displayed a very good performance to build a solid advantage before the return leg, while Jadran could take some satisfaction as it avoided a bigger defeat. The Montenegrins were six goals down in the third quarter, but they kept their semifinal hopes alive thanks to a good finish.
The match started as a hard-fought defensive battle. Both goalkeepers—Mladost’s Marcelic and Jadran’s Djurovic—performed admirably for much of the first half. However, Marcelic and the hosts’ defense were especially strong in the first 16 minutes, reflected in the halftime score. Jadran managed to score its only goal in the first half in the 7th minute, tying the game at 1:1.
The Montenegrins’ attack worked better in the third period, but they could catch up with Mladost. Lovre Milos led the hosts in the third period, scoring three goals. He made it 7:2 from a counterattack. The same player gave Mladost a 6-goal lead for the first time – 9:3 (22nd minute). It was a counterattack again. The Croats were 10:4 up at the finish of the 3rd quarter before Jadran started coming back. The visitors scored three straight goals to come close (7:10). They trailed by three less than three minutes before the end (8:11). But, leftie Konstantin Kharkov sealed the hosts’ win with a power-play goal in the 30th minute.
Brescia – Radnicki 9:9 (3:2, 3:0,1:4, 2:0)
Brescia: Dolce 4, Del Basso 3, Guerrato 1, Balzarini 1.
Radnicki: N.Jaksic 2, Vasic 2, Murisic 2, Rasovic 1, Vapenski 1, P.Jaksic 1.
Vincenzo Dolce scored two goals in the 3rd minute, giving Brescia an early 2:0 lead. Radnicki reduced the deficit twice in the first quarter. The visitors equalized in their first possession of the second period when Strahinja Rasovic scored on a counterattack, making it 3:3. Brescia regained the lead, but Radnicki leveled the score at 4-4 and again at 5-5. However, the visitors couldn’t respond after Balzarini put Brescia ahead 6:5 in the dying seconds of the first half.
Early in the third quarter, Del Basso doubled the Italians’ advantage. This period, however, belonged to the visitors, who improved their defense, commanded by goalkeeper Radoslav Filipovic. Radnicki went on a 3:0 run, entering the final quarter with a 9:7 lead. Brescia went nearly 10 minutes without scoring until Del Basso finally found the net again, making it 8:9 with four and a half minutes remaining. During the fourth period, Radnicki lost its attacking rhythm and wasted five man-up opportunities. Brescia converted one out of four chances during the last eight minutes. The lone powerplay goal in the fourth quarter was as an equalizer, with Dolce scoring to set the final score with 2:32 minutes left on the clock.
Sabadell – Primorac 17:9 (4:4, 4:2, 4:1, 5:2)
Sabadell:Barroso 4, Asensio 2, Renzuto 2, Averka 2, Corres 2, Asensio 2, Bowen 1, Schutze 1.
Primorac: Brkic 3, Stanojevic 2, Dr. Brguljan 1, Cetkovic 1, Shushiashvili 1, Vico 1.
The encounters between Sabadell and Primorac in the 2025 Champions League were fierce battles (Primorac edged out Sabadell in Spain, while the Spaniards earned a penalty shootout win in Kotor). After the first quarter, it seemed that today’s duel would be another exciting clash.
The first quarter saw a few twists and turns. Both teams had a minimal advantage, but they were tied at 4:4 at the first break.
Sabadell’s 3:0 series in the first four minutes of the second period set the tone of the match. The hosts took control. Primorac managed to reduce the gap with two back-to-back goals (6:7). However, Sabadell kept the Montenegrins scoreless in the next ten minutes while producing a 4:0 run for an 11:6 lead late into the third period. The hosts dictated the pace until the end. They can start preparing for the semifinals.
