Novi Beograd extended its winning streak in the Champions League with a statement victory over Olympiacos, showcasing a rock-solid defensive display in Piraeus. The Serbian champions prevailed 8-5 in a tightly contested match. Meanwhile, Marseille secured a hard-fought 11-9 win against Jadran Split, sealing the game with a decisive late surge in the final quarter.
Champions League 2024/25 – Quarterfinal Stage, Day 2, Group A
Olympiacos 5-8 Novi Beograd (0:0, 1:2, 2:3, 2:3)
Olympiacos: Genidounias 2, Fountoulis 1, Dimou 1, Zalanki 1.
Novi Beograd: Perkovic 2, Vlachopoulos 2, Lukic 2, Skoumpakis 1, Martinovic 1.
From the outset, defenses dictated the tempo, with both teams struggling to find the back of the net. Olympiacos created more chances early on, but Novi Beograd’s young goalkeeper Milan Glusac delivered an outstanding performance, recording 11 saves in the first half alone and adding five more in the latter stages.
Novi Beograd eventually broke through in the 10th minute when Miroslav Perkovic capitalized from close range. Soon after, Nikola Lukic doubled the advantage with a perfectly placed lob. Olympiacos finally got on the scoresheet with just over a minute left in the first half, as Fountoulis fired from distance to cut the deficit.
The Serbian side maintained control in the third quarter, stretching their lead to 4-1 before Olympiacos narrowed the gap to 5-3. However, just before the final period, Gergo Zalanki converted a man-up situation, keeping the hosts within striking distance.
Midway through the fourth quarter, a crucial penalty was awarded to Novi Beograd, and Vasilije Martinovic made no mistake, restoring a three-goal cushion. Frustration mounted for Olympiacos, resulting in costly errors in attack. Angelos Vlachopoulos capitalized with five minutes left, pushing the score to 7-3. While Genidounias pulled one back on the power play, Glusac came up big once again with a key save against Papanastasiou. Dimitrios Skoumpakis then delivered the final blow, making it 8-4. A late goal from Olympiacos had little impact as Novi Beograd’s defense held firm until the final whistle.
Marseille 11-9 Jadran Split (3:2, 3:4, 2:2, 3:1)
Marseille: Angyal 2, Prlainovic 2, Vernoux 2, Bouet 1, Crousillat 1, Marion-Vernoux 1, Bodegas 1, Velotto 1.
Jadran Split: Berehulak 2, Duzevic 2, Fatovic 1, Marinic Kragic 1, Radan 1, Pejkovic 1, Cuzzi 1.
A back-and-forth battle in Marseille saw the hosts claim a vital victory with a dominant finish.
Marseille started strong, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the opening three minutes while shutting down Jadran’s early man-up opportunities. The French side maintained control until 4-2, but Jadran fought back with consecutive goals, including a well-executed counterattack from Antonio Duzevic that leveled the score.
The Croatian visitors took their first lead after Loren Fatovic converted a penalty, but Marseille responded before halftime to make it 6-6.
The second half remained tight, with both teams exchanging goals. Jadran briefly held the upper hand at 7-6 and later at 8-7, but the hosts kept finding answers.
The turning point came early in the final quarter when Marseille missed a penalty opportunity, and Jadran capitalized moments later with a stunning long-range goal from Jerko Marinic Kragic. However, that would be Jadran’s last goal of the match.
With the home crowd behind them, Marseille surged in the closing minutes, scoring three unanswered goals in just under three minutes. Prlainovic made up for his earlier miss with a long-distance equalizer, Vernoux then fired Marseille into the lead at 10-9, and Angyal added a crucial insurance goal.
Despite late pressure, Marseille held on to take a key win. Vladan Spaic, returning to Champions League action after serving a lengthy suspension, played a vital role in the victory.
Standings – Group A
- Novi Beograd – 6 pts
- Marseille – 3 pts
- Olympiacos – 3 pts
- Jadran Split – 0 pts
Upcoming Fixtures – Group B (Wednesday, 20:00 CET)
- Barceloneta vs. Oradea
- Savona vs. Ferencvaros