Jadran Herceg Novi remains the only unbeaten team in the Premier VRL League after four rounds, following a dramatic 17:16 victory over Novi Beograd after a penalty shootout (12:12 regular time) in Herceg Novi. The Montenegrin champions climbed to the top of the table, surpassing both Novi Beograd and Šabac, who had perfect 3–0 records before this round.
This was Jadran’s second shootout win of the season, following their earlier triumph against Radnički in Kragujevac.
The derby in Herceg Novi was a pulsating affair full of momentum swings. Despite missing key players — Čuk, Lukić and Radović — Novi Beograd controlled much of the first half, leading by two goals on multiple occasions. However, Jadran grew stronger as the game progressed, dominating the third period and establishing a three-goal cushion, only for Novi Beograd to mount a late comeback and force penalties.
Novi Beograd struck first through quick goals that put them 2:0 up, but Jadran responded through Kholod and Stupar to level the score at 5:5. The sides continued to trade goals, heading into halftime locked at 6:6. After the break, Jadran turned the tide. World champion Fran Valera fired the hosts into their first lead (7:6) before Janović and Radović extended the gap to 9:6.
A resilient Novi Beograd cut the deficit late in the third period and continued their fightback in the final quarter. Dusan Vasić equalized midway through the last frame (11:11), setting up a tense finish. With 34 seconds left, Dmitrii Kholod appeared to have sealed victory for Jadran, scoring from close range to make it 12:11. Yet, with just five seconds remaining, Vasilije Martinović struck from a power-play to level the score once more.
In the shootout, the decisive moment came in the second round when Jadran’s goalkeeper Lazar Andrić denied Luka Gladović — his tenth save of the match — securing a vital win for the hosts. Kholod led Jadran’s attack with three goals, while Martinović, Pljevancic and Šulc each scored three for Novi Beograd.
Radnički end Šabac’s perfect start
Radnički delivered their most convincing performance of the season, dispatching Šabac 18:10 in Kragujevac. The home side, whose power-play execution had been inconsistent in earlier rounds, vastly improved in this match. After missing their first few opportunities, Radnički stormed to a 6:0 lead within 12 minutes, converting four man-up chances.
Šabac fought back but could not reduce the deficit below five goals. Strahinja Rašović led the hosts with a perfect four-for-four shooting display, supported by Duško Pijetlović and Boris Vapenski, who both netted hat-tricks. The game saw a remarkable 40 exclusions — 24 against Šabac and 16 for Radnički — reflecting its physical intensity.
Primorac and Crvena Zvezda secure away victories
In Belgrade, Primorac Kotor comfortably defeated Partizan 18:9. The Montenegrin visitors raced to a 5:1 lead in the opening quarter and never looked back. Balša Vucković led the charge with four goals, while Stefan Vidović and Savo Ćetković added three apiece.
Crvena Zvezda claimed their first win of the season, beating Budućnost 14:9 in Podgorica. The former European champions dominated the first half (8:2) and weathered Budućnost’s brief resurgence before closing out the game. Captain Dušan Marković and Nikola Nikolov both scored three goals for Zvezda, with veteran Draško Brguljan also netting three for the hosts.
2026 Premier VRL League – Round 4 Results
Jadran m:tel – Novi Beograd 17:16 (2:3, 4:3, 5:3, 1:3, 5:4)
Radnički – Šabac Elixir 18:10 (3:0, 7:3, 4:5, 4:2)
Budućnost One – Crvena Zvezda 9:14 (1:4, 1:4, 3:4, 4:2)
Partizan – Primorac 9:18 (1:5, 3:3, 2:6, 3:4)
Standings (after Round 4)
- Jadran HN – 10 pts
- Novi Beograd – 10 pts
- Primorac – 9 pts
- Šabac – 9 pts
- Radnički – 7 pts
- Crvena Zvezda – 3 pts
- Partizan – 0 pts
- Budućnost – 0 pts
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