Radnicki secured a valuable 14:11 victory over Mladost in the highly anticipated derby of the fifth round of Champions League Group A, keeping its hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals alive.
Mladost began strong, leading 4:0 at the first break and 7:3 at halftime. However, Radnicki recovered, finishing the last 10 minutes with a decisive 6:0 run to secure the win.
In another match in this group, Olympiacos convincingly defeated Vasas 20:8, maintaining the top spot with 12 points. Both Radnicki and Mladost have nine points each, but none of the three teams has yet secured a place among the top eight in this season’s Champions League. A vital game is set for February, when Olympiacos will face Radnicki in Piraeus. The Greek team has the best chances of advancing, needing only to avoid a heavy loss to Radnicki.
In Group D, the series of unexpected results continued, with Waspo Hannover defeating Sabadell 11:9 in Spain. The Germans are now in second place, three points ahead of Marseille, making the race for the second available quarterfinal berth in this group wide open. Barceloneta has already qualified for the next stage, while Sabadell has been eliminated with this loss.
Pro Recco triumphed over Jadran Herceg Novi in a high-scoring match in Trebinje, winning 19:13 and confirming its top position in Group B. Jadran remains in contention for a place in the Top 8.
A round before the Group Stage, only four teams qualified for the Quarter Final Stage: Pro Recco, Ferencvaros, Brescia, and Barceloneta; while five are eliminated to the Euro Cup: Vasas, Jadran Split, Oradea, Primorac, and Sabadell.
The remaining seven clubs are still in the race.
2026 Champions League, Group Stage, Round 5
GROUP A
Radnicki – Mladost 14:11 (0:4, 3:3, 6:4, 4:0)
Radnicki: Prlainovic 5, Vlachopoulos 4, S. Rasovic 2, Vapenski 2, Pijetlovic 1.
Mladost: Kharkov 2, Lazic 2, Basic 1, Tonicic 1,Buljubasic 1, Biljaka 1, Bukic 1, Nagaev 1, Loncar 1.
The way the game in Kragujevac started indicated that Radnicki would say goodbye to the Top 8 round this evening, and that Mladost would secure a place in the next round.
Radnicki has struggled with poor power-play conversions throughout many matches this season, and this trend continued in the first half against Mladost. The hosts had four 6-on-5 opportunities in the first quarter but failed to score. Mladost’s defense was excellent, and their offense was equally impressive, as the visitors netted three action goals and one from a power play within the first eight minutes. Strahinja Rasovic finally put Radnicki on the scoreboard in the 10th minute. For the remainder of the first half, the teams exchanged goals, leaving Mladost with a solid 7:4 lead at the midway point.
Angelos Vlachopoulos and Andrija Basic Photo: Darko Čojić
The home side began to mount a comeback during the third period. In the 19th minute, Pijetlovic scored from a counterattack, narrowing Radnicki’s deficit to two goals for the first time (6:8). Three minutes later, Radnicki came even closer when Andrija Prlainovic converted a penalty shot, bringing the score to 8:9. However, Konstantin Kharkov quickly responded with a goal during a man-up situation, marking Mladost’s 10th goal of the game. Kharkov became the first player from the visiting team to score multiple goals, highlighting the visitors’ control of the match through a strong team effort. Lazic followed with a goal for 11:8. At that point, the game shifted direction. Radnicki tightened its defense and capitalized on man-up opportunities, resulting in a crucial 6:0 run. Just before the last break, the Serbian champion closed the gap to one goal again (10:11) and even had a chance to equalize with a man-up situation in the dying seconds of the quarter, but they missed the opportunity. Mladost entered the final period with a narrow advantage.
The equalizer came in the 26th minute when Prlainovic scored from a penalty following a foul against him. A minute later, Radnicki’s experienced captain put his team ahead with an extra player – 12:11. Vlachopoulos then added another goal during a 6-on-5 situation, extending the lead to 13:11.
After that, neither team was able to score for a long time. In the last minute, Mladost opted to attack with seven outfield players, but that strategy did not yield results. Radnicki’s goalkeeper, Radoslav Filipovic, saved a shot from Franko Lazic. Radnicki then failed to score from two long-distance attempts while Mladost was without a goalkeeper. However, Vlachopoulos capitalized on the opportunity. He sealed Radnicki’s victory and completed the 6:0 run with just two seconds remaining.
Olympiacos – Vasas 20:8 (6:1, 4:2, 6:1, 4:4)
Olympiacos: Kakaris 4, Nikolaidis 3, Zalanki 3, Genidounias 2, Angyal 2, Papanastasiou 2, Gkillas 1, Pouros 1, Dimou 1, Fountoulis 1.
Vasas: Gabor 2, Djurdjic 2, Szalai 1, Dala 1, Foskolos 1, Batori 1.
Olympiacos had an excellent percentage of shots – 6/9 in the first period and built a 6:0 lead after just six and a half minutes of play. Foskolos scored the first goal for Vasas by converting a man-up just 15 seconds before the first break. Olympiacos’ explosive start set the tone of the match. At halftime, seven goals separated the rivals (10:3).
Alexandros Papanastasiou Photo: Eurokinissi Photo Agency
The Greeks continued playing at a high pace. Midway through the third quarter, Olympiacos reached a double-digit margin, when Genidounias scored 14:4 from a counterattack. Olympiacos’ biggest lead was 13 goals (18:5) early in the fourth period, and after that, the hosts took a break.
Standings: 1. Olympiacos 12, 2. Radnicki 9, 3. Mladost 9, 4. Vasas 0.
Head to head: Radnicki – Mladost 15:17 and 14:11
GROUP B
Jadran HN – Pro Recco 13:19  (3:3, 2:6, 2:6, 6:4)
Jadran Herceg Novi: Lazic 3, Vujovic 2, Valera 2, Kholod 1, Stupar 1, Merkulov 1, Gojkovic 1, Janovic 1.
Pro Recco: Irving 5, Cannella 4, Iocchi Gratta 3, Patchaliev 2, Durik 2, Di Fulvio 1, Granados 1, Buric 1.
Pro Recco started breaking Jadran’s resistance in the second quarter. In the first period, the Italians took a one-goal lead three times, and Jadran leveled on each occasion. Still, Recco ruled the field in the second period. The visitors scored three straight goals in less than two minutes and jumped to 6:3. Kholod broke their series for 4:6. Still, Max Irving responded with two goals and stretched the margin to four (8:4).
Max Irving scored five goals in Trebinje Photo by Vuk Ilic
Late into the third quarter, Pro Recco built a nine-goal lead (15:6). However, the Italian champions didn’t chase a goal difference and slowed down in the final quarter. Â They used the last eight minutes to try out some tactical variations. Recco had seven outfield players in its final two possessions. It didn’t score, but Lazar Andric, Jadran’s goalkeeper, seized an opportunity and set the final score, sending the ball into the empty net with 16 seconds remaining on the clock.
Recco confirmed the top spot, and Jadran waits a do-or-die match against Novi Beograd in the 6th round.
Standings: 1. Pro Recco 15, 2. Jadran HN 6, 3. Novi Beograd 6, 4. Jadran S 3.
Head to head: Jadran HN – Novi Beograd 12:11
GROUP D
Sabadell – Waspo 98 Hannover 9:11 (5:3, 1:2, 1:3, 2:3)
Sabadell: Famera 2, Cabanas 2, Averka 2, Asensio 1, Varroso 1, Saboya 1.
Waspo 98: Vukicevic 3, Bozic 2, Schipper 1, Langiewicz 1, Kueppers 1, Strelezkij 1, Milradovic 1, Gansen 1.
Waspo Hannover rose to 2nd place after winning in Sabadell, demonstrating that the Germans’ victories over Sabadell and Marseille in their pool were not solely due to the favorites’ poor performance.
This evening’s game was an even contest for most of the first quarter. Still, the hosts earned a 5:3 goal with two back-to-back goals in the final 39 seconds of the first period. The Spaniards held back Hannover’s comeback attempts during the second period. The visitors halved the deficit by the middle break (5:6) and took control in the second half. B
Bozic leveled at 6:6 in the 16th minute. After that goal, Sabadell forced two exclusions and had a double man-up. While both excluded players were still off the field, Hannover’s Kacper Langiewicz received a red card (exclusion with substitution). But, Sabadell didn’t capitalize on a 6-on-3 situation – Hannover’s goalkeeper Spittnak saved a shot from Cabanas. That moment was a turning point. The Germans scored in their subsequent two attacks and took an 8:6 lead. Sabadell didn’t equalize in the rest of the match, even though it came close a few times (7:8 and 8:9).
Photo by Victor Castillo
Gansen gave Hannover an 11:8 lead with 05:11 remaining on the clock. There was still enough time for a new turn, but the visitors were calmer in the final minutes. They focused on defense, allowing Sabadell to score only one goal.
Both matches in the 6th round of Group D will take place in Spain. Sabadell will host Marseille, while Barceloneta will welcome Waspo Hannover. The hosts have little to gain or lose in these games. Barceloneta will not hold onto the top position if they suffer a 17-goal defeat against Hannover. Additionally, Sabadell cannot qualify for the next stage. Currently, there are three points separating 2nd-placed Hannover and 3rd-placed Marseille. The Germans will advance if they earn at least one point against Barceloneta or if Marseille doesn’t earn all three points in Sabadelll This makes for a very interesting situation.
Standings: 1. Barceloneta 12, 2. Hannover 9, 3. Marseille 6, 4. Sabadell 3.
Visit Total Waterpolo Arena for live results and the statistics of the 2025/26 Champions League
