Day 2 of the Men’s European Championships in Belgrade delivered a clear message across Groups B and D: the favorites are in no mood for early drama. Greece, Croatia and Italy all recorded emphatic victories, while Romania continued its steady rise with a convincing win over Slovakia.
Greece overwhelm Georgia
Group B
Greece 20–6 Georgia
(3:0, 9:2, 3:2, 5:2)
Greece left no doubt from the opening swim-off, deciding the contest long before halftime. With goalkeeper Panagiotis Tzortzatos setting the tone early, the Greeks raced to a 3–0 first-quarter lead and then exploded in the opening minutes of the second period.
Five goals in just over three minutes — three coming from counterattacks — pushed Greece into an 8–0 advantage. Georgia eventually found the net through Saric on a double man-up, but by then the damage was done. Skoumpakis’ penalty made it 11–1 midway through the second quarter, and Greece went into halftime firmly in control at 12–2.
Despite easing off after the break, Greece comfortably stretched the margin, underlining their attacking efficiency (63% shooting in the first half) and defensive discipline.
Greece scorers: Kakaris 4, Argyropoulos 3, Kalogeropoulos 3, Genidounias 2, Spachits 2, Skoumpakis 2, Gkiouvetsis 2, Nikolaidis 1, Pouros 1
Georgia scorers: Vasic 2, Shushiashvili 1, Dadvani 1, Saric 1, Pjesivac 1
Georgia face a stern test against Croatia next, while Greece will look to further boost their goal difference against Slovenia.
Croatia too strong for Slovenia
Slovenia 4–20 Croatia
(1:3, 1:5, 1:7, 1:5)
Croatia needed a few minutes to find their rhythm, edging the first quarter 3–1 after a late goal from Marko Zuvela. From that point on, it became a one-sided affair.
The Croatians steadily increased the pressure, dominating both ends of the pool and pulling away decisively in the second and third quarters. Notably, Croatia managed the match without relying heavily on their experienced centre-forwards — Luka Lončar was not in the squad, while Josip Vrlić saw limited minutes — highlighting their depth.
Slovenia scorers: Kadivec, Canc, Stromajer, Potocnik
Croatia scorers: Burić 4, Zuvela 3, Kharkov 3, Kržić 3, Fatović 2, Lazić 2, Vukičević 2, Bašić 1
Italy cruise past Türkiye
Group D
Türkiye 8–19 Italy
(1:7, 2:4, 3:4, 2:4)
Italy’s campaign began exactly as planned. After an early exchange, the Italians went on a devastating 9–0 run, racing to a 10–1 lead and keeping Türkiye scoreless for almost 15 minutes.
Although the pace dropped after halftime, Italy remained in full control, rotating the squad and steadily increasing the margin to seal a comfortable opening win.
Italy scorers: Condemi 4, Di Somma 3, Dolce 2, Cassia 2, Bruni 2, Balzarini 2, Del Basso 1, Ferrero 1, Gianazza 1, Carnesecchi 1
Türkiye scorers: Kuloglu 2, Oguzcan, Acar, Alpman, Yutmaz, Kahraman, Duzenli
Romania assert control against Slovakia
Romania 16–8 Slovakia
(5:3, 4:2, 2:0, 5:3)
After edging Slovakia 8–7 at the 2024 Europeans, Romania left nothing to chance this time. Despite conceding the opening goal, Romania responded quickly and never relinquished control.
Strong center-forward play from Gheorghe and Vancsik proved decisive, as Romania repeatedly found success from close range. By the middle of the second quarter, they had built a 7–3 lead and continued to pull away thanks to disciplined defending and superior shot volume.
A four-goal burst late in the third quarter effectively settled the contest.
Romania scorers: Gheorghe 3, Georgescu 3, Luncan 3, Oanta 2, Neamtu 2, Lutescu 1, Fulea 1, Vancsik 1
Slovakia scorers: Seman 2, Marek Tkac 2, Caraj 2, Durik 1, Bielik 1
Looking ahead: Day 3 (January 12)
Day 3 promises the first major clashes of the tournament. The headline act sees Olympic champions Serbia face Spain in Group C, while Group A features another heavyweight meeting as Hungary take on Montenegro.
Group A (Round 2)
- Malta vs France (12:45)
- Hungary vs Montenegro (15:15)
Group C (Round 2)
- Netherlands vs Israel (18:00)
- Spain vs Serbia (20:30)
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