Barceloneta moved one win away from another Spanish League title after defeating Sabadell 17-13 in the opening match of the playoff final.
The defending champions, who are chasing a 26th national championship, made the decisive move early with a dominant first quarter. Sabadell struck first after just 14 seconds, with Sergi Cabanas converting a penalty, but Barceloneta responded immediately and took control of the game.
A four-goal burst gave the hosts a 4-1 lead midway through the opening period, before Gergely Burian took over in the closing minutes of the quarter. The Hungarian scored three times in the final three minutes, helping Barceloneta build a 7-3 advantage after a high-scoring first period.
Sabadell stayed in the contest and reduced the gap before halftime, with Barceloneta leading 9-6 at the break. The visitors then made their strongest push at the start of the third quarter, as Cabanas scored twice to bring Sabadell back to within one goal at 9-8.
But just as the game appeared to be tightening, Barceloneta found another response. A 3-0 run restored their four-goal lead at 12-8, shifting the momentum firmly back in their favour.
From there, Barceloneta managed the game well. In the final quarter, they stretched the advantage to five goals on several occasions, leading 14-9, 16-11 and 17-12 before closing out a 17-13 victory.
Burian was the standout scorer for Barceloneta with five goals, while Unai Biel, Fran Valera Bustos, Felipe Perrone’s side shared the scoring effectively across the team. For Sabadell, Asensio, Barroso and Cabanas each scored three times.
The final is being played as a best-of-three series, meaning Barceloneta can secure the title next weekend in Sabadell. Sabadell, meanwhile, must win Game 2 to force a deciding third match.
Results
2026 Spanish League, playoffs
Final, Game 1
Barceloneta 17-13 Sabadell
Quarters: 7-3, 2-3, 4-3, 4-4
Barceloneta scorers: Burian 5, Munarriz 2, Sanahuja 2, Tahull 2, Vigvari 2, Biel 2, Bustos 2.
Sabadell scorers: Asensio 3, Barroso 3, Cabanas 3, Famera 2, Averka 1, Real 1.
5th-place playoffs, Game 1
Sant Andreu 11-20 Mataro
Quarters: 3-5, 2-6, 4-4, 2-5.
Read more about Spanish water polo
Visit the WP360 Shop!
Follow Waterpolo 360 on Facebook, Instagram and X