Three of the four teams qualified for the Champions League Final Four—Ferencváros, Barceloneta, and Novi Beograd—closed the Quarterfinal Stage with strong victories. The only exception was Marseille, who fell to Olympiacos and lost top spot in Group A.
With results from Round 6 now final, the semi-final matchups for the Final Four in Malta (May 30 – June 1) are confirmed:
- Novi Beograd vs Barceloneta
- Ferencváros vs Marseille
Group A Recap
Olympiacos 12 – Marseille 8
Quarter scores: 4–1, 1–1, 4–4, 3–2
Olympiacos scorers: Gkillas 3, Lončar 2, Zalánki 2, Nikolaidis 2, Genidounias 1, Fountoulis 1, Pournaras 1
Marseille scorers: Crousillat 2, Spaic 2, Vernoux 2, Velotto 1, Bouet 1
Olympiacos, already out of contention for the Final Four, played a complete game to take a convincing home win. The Greek team was motivated to avenge their earlier defeat in Marseille and succeeded with a composed and tactical performance. Dimitrios Nikolaidis scored twice early to give Olympiacos a strong start, while goalkeeper Emmanouil Zerdevas posted 14 saves to keep Marseille at bay.
Although Marseille closed the gap to 9–7 midway through the third quarter, Olympiacos responded immediately with three unanswered goals, putting the game out of reach.
Jadran Split 7 – Novi Beograd 15
Quarter scores: 3–4, 2–5, 1–2, 1–4
Jadran scorers: Ćuzić 4, Berehulak 1, Čagalj 1, Pavlović 1
Novi Beograd scorers: Gladović 3, Lukić 3, Radović 3, Martinović 2, Krstić 2, Skoumpakis 1, Vlachopoulos 1
Jadran rested several key players ahead of the Croatian Championship final, including captain Marinić-Kragić, goalkeeper Bijač, and top scorer Fatović. This gave Novi Beograd a more straightforward path to victory. Even without Miloš Ćuk, the Serbian side quickly asserted control, leading 4–3 after the first quarter and 9–5 at halftime.
Young players such as Gladović, Martinović, and Krstić stepped up for Novi Beograd, while Ćuzić stood out for Jadran with four goals.
Final Group A Standings:
- Novi Beograd – 15 pts
- Marseille – 12 pts
- Olympiacos – 7 pts
- Jadran Split – 2 pts
Group B Recap
Ferencváros 20 – Oradea 10
Quarter scores: 5–1, 6–4, 5–1, 4–4
Ferencváros scorers: Argyropoulos 3, Varga (Vince) 3, Mandić 2, Manhercz 2, Nagy (Ádám) 2, Vámos 2, Nagy (Ákos) 2, Vismeg 2, Molnár 1, Pohl 1
Oradea scorers: Gardašević 5, Belenyesi 1, Luncan 1, Gusarov 1, Vancsik 1, Velkić 1
Ferencváros completed their group campaign with a dominant win. They opened with a 5–1 first quarter and maintained full control throughout. Vince Varga made it 11–5 just before halftime, and the Hungarian side extended their lead to double digits early in the third quarter.
Almost every field player contributed to the scoreline, underlining the depth and strength of the defending champions. Filip Gardašević netted five for Oradea in a losing effort.
Barceloneta 17 – Savona 10
Quarter scores: 3–1, 4–1, 5–3, 5–5
Barceloneta scorers: Granados 3, Tahull 3, Sanahuja 2, Vigvári 2, Burian 2, Gomila 2, Munárriz 1, Biel 1
Savona scorers: Vavić 4, Rizzo 2, Rocchi 1, Figlioli 1, Merkulov 1, Erdélyi 1
Barceloneta established dominance early, going 3–0 ahead before Savona could find their rhythm. A 6–0 scoring run from the Spaniards, capped by Tahull’s goal to make it 10–2, essentially sealed the result by the middle of the third period.
Although Savona fought back in the final quarter, the deficit was too large to overcome.
Final Group B Standings:
- Ferencváros – 16 pts
- Barceloneta – 14 pts
- Savona – 6 pts
- Oradea – 0 pts
Final Four: Malta 2025
The 2024/25 Champions League Final Four will take place in Malta from May 30 to June 1. The semifinal fixtures are:
- Ferencváros (Group B winners) vs Marseille (Group A runners-up)
- Novi Beograd (Group A winners) vs Barceloneta (Group B runners-up)
With four of Europe’s strongest clubs preparing for the season’s biggest stage, fans can expect elite-level water polo in Malta.
Read more about the water polo Champions League
Follow Waterpolo 360 on Facebook, Instagram and X