The Italian League’s 20th round delivered plenty of drama, with a standout clash in Naples where Posillipo pushed Brescia to the limit. With Pro Recco also in the title mix, every point counts at the top of the table. In a tight encounter, Brescia edged out Posillipo 12:11, maintaining their grip on the championship race.

Brescia was the first to carve out a significant lead, silencing the home crowd with a dominant spell midway through the first half. After Posillipo took an early 3:2 lead, the visitors shut them down for nearly 11 minutes, unleashing a 4:0 scoring run to go 6:3 ahead. Posillipo responded just before halftime, netting twice in quick succession to cut the deficit to one (5:6).

Milicic’s goal early in the third quarter brought Posillipo level at 6:6, setting the stage for an intense second half. The teams exchanged blows for the remainder of the period, with Brescia holding a narrow 9:8 advantage going into the final eight minutes. Max Irving extended the lead to 10:8 just seconds into the fourth quarter, but Posillipo fought back, equalizing twice (10:10, 11:11). However, Gianazza had the final say, scoring the winner in the 31st minute. Brescia’s Del Basso led all scorers with three goals.

Elsewhere, Trieste’s dominant first-half display secured a 13:10 victory over De Akker Bologna. Goalkeeper Dejan Lazovic, returning to action after missing the previous match, helped Trieste build a 6:0 lead before De Akker finally got on the board. Despite a late surge from Bologna, the early gap proved insurmountable. Trieste’s Edoardo Manzi and Vuk Draskovic, along with De Akker’s Luongo, each netted four times.

Pro Recco extended their relentless march with a crushing 18:3 win over Florentia, powered by five goals from Francesco Di Fulvio.

Savona delivered the most dominant performance of the round, dismantling Catania 24:3. Daniil Merkulov stood out with four goals.

Roma Vis Nova remained level on points with 4th-placed Trieste after a 12:7 win against Onda Forte.

Iren Genova Quinto narrowly edged Ortigia in a gripping battle. After a tight first half (4:4), Quinto surged ahead in the third quarter, leading 9:5. Ortigia mounted a furious comeback in the final period, closing the gap to 9:8 with two minutes left. However, Quinto held firm to claim all three points.

Meanwhile, Telimar and Olympic Roma played out a dramatic draw in Palermo. Telimar led 8:5 at halftime, but Olympic fought back to take a 10:9 lead in the fourth quarter. With just 46 seconds remaining, Alfonso Pozo converted a man-up opportunity to salvage a point for Telimar.

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2024/25 Italian League, Round 20 Results:

• Posillipo – Brescia 11:12 (3:3, 2:3, 3:3, 3:3)
• Trieste – De Akker Bologna 13:10 (1:0, 6:2, 5:6, 1:2)
• Savona – Catania 24:3 (5:3, 6:0, 8:0, 5:0)
• Pro Recco – Florentia 18:3 (2:0, 4:2, 7:1, 5:0)
• Iren Genova Quinto – Ortigia 9:8 (2:1, 2:3, 5:1, 0:3)
• Telimar – Olympic Roma 11:11 (5:3, 3:2, 1:2, 2:4)
• Roma Vis Nova – Onda Forte 12:6 (4:0, 4:2, 1:1, 3:3)

Current Standings (After Round 20):

1. Pro Recco – 58 pts (20 games)
2. Brescia – 58 pts (20 games)
3. Savona – 51 pts (20 games)
4. Trieste – 37 pts (20 games)
5. Roma Vis Nova – 37 pts (20 games)
6. Posillipo – 34 pts (20 games)
7. De Akker – 31 pts (20 games)
8. Ortigia – 23 pts (20 games)
9. Telimar – 21 pts (20 games)
10. Quinto – 19 pts (20 games)
11. Florentia – 18 pts (20 games)
12. Olympic Roma – 12 pts (19 games)
13. Onda Forte – 5 pts (20 games)
14. Catania – 4 pts (20 games)