Novi Beograd produced a strong away performance to defeat Jadran Split 10:7 in the most anticipated match of the Champions League Round 2 opening day. The Serbian side recovered from a slow start, taking charge in the second quarter and never relinquishing control in Group B.
Group A
Vasas – Olympiacos 5:15 (2:5, 0:3, 3:5, 0:2)
Olympiacos delivered a commanding performance in Budapest to earn their first away victory of the season. The Greeks quickly set the tone, with Vasas managing to equalize only once at 1:1 before the visitors went on an 8:1 scoring run.
Giorgos Genidounias’ long-range efforts and Gergo Zalanki’s sharp finishing helped Olympiacos build a comfortable lead that Vasas could not threaten. The hosts’ last goal came in the third period before Olympiacos closed out the game with a series of counterattack finishes, showcasing their Final Four credentials.
Scorers:
Vasas – Lakatos 2, Gabor 1, Selley-Rauscher 1, Djurdjic 1.
Olympiacos – Dimou 3, Nikolaidis 3, Genidounias 2, Zalanki 2, Fountoulis 1, Angyal 1, Gkillas 1, Lykoudis 1, Kakaris 1.
Standings: 1. Olympiacos 6 (2), 2. Radnicki 3 (1), 3. Mladost 0 (1), 4. Vasas 0 (2).
Group B
Jadran Split – Novi Beograd 7:10 (3:3, 2:3, 1:2, 1:2)
Novi Beograd, missing key players Lukic and Radovic, earned an impressive away win over Jadran Split, who were still without captain Jerko Marinic Kragic.
Jadran started brightly, racing to a 3:1 lead, but Novi Beograd quickly found their rhythm. A penalty conversion by young left-hander Nikola Gladovic tied the game at 3:3 late in the first quarter. From there, Novi Beograd’s experience began to show.
Goals from Milos Cuk and Filip Jankovic gave the visitors a 5:3 advantage before halftime, while goalkeeper Milan Glusac produced a string of crucial saves. Despite Jadran’s best efforts, they couldn’t sustain their early momentum. In the closing minutes, Martinovic’s third goal and Glusac’s heroics sealed the win.
Scorers:
Jadran Split – Berehulak 2, Nemet 1, Matkovic 1, Butic 1, Zovic 1.
Novi Beograd – Martinovic 3, Gladovic 2, Cuk 1, Jankovic 1, Trtovic 1, Perkovic 1, Grgurevic 1.
Standings: 1. Pro Recco 6, 2. Novi Beograd 3, 3. Jadran HN 3, 4. Jadran S 0.
Pro Recco – Jadran Herceg Novi 16:7 (5:1, 3:1, 4:3, 4:2)
Pro Recco reaffirmed their status as title favourites with a dominant home performance over Jadran Herceg Novi. The Italians trailed briefly at 0:1 before launching a devastating 8:1 run that ended the contest by halftime.
Álvaro Granados led with four goals, while Pavillard, Cannella and Iocchi Gratta each added three. Goalkeeper Nicosia also impressed, saving a penalty before the break. Despite spirited play from Kholod and Sladovic, Jadran had no answer to Recco’s depth and precision.
Scorers:
Pro Recco – Granados 4, Cannella 3, Iocchi Gratta 3, Pavillard 3, Durik 1, Presciutti 1, Condemi 1, Cassia 1.
Jadran HN – Kholod 2, Sladovic 2, Valera 1, Gojkovic 1, Radovic 1.
Group C
Oradea – Primorac 14:7 (4:1, 2:2, 5:1, 3:3)
Oradea produced one of the biggest surprises of the round, dismantling Primorac with a confident all-round display. The Romanians raced to a 3:0 lead in the opening minutes and maintained their dominance throughout.
Gusarov (4 goals), Gardasevic (3) and Oltean (3) led the scoring, while a strong defensive effort frustrated the Montenegrins. Oradea’s 10:3 lead midway through the third quarter ended any hopes of a Primorac comeback.
This result puts Oradea firmly in contention for a Top 8 spot, adding new intrigue to Group C ahead of their next test against Brescia.
Scorers:
Oradea – Gusarov 4, Gardasevic 3, Oltean 3, Belenyesi 2, Ilisie 1, Velkic 1.
Primorac – Inaba 2, Brkic 2, Brguljan 1, Cetkovic 1, Vico 1.
Standings: 1. Ferencvaros 3 (1), 2. Brescia 3 (1), 3. Oradea 3 (2), 4. Primorac 0 (2).
Next fixtures
The second day of Round 2 continues on Wednesday, with Mladost hosting Radnicki and Brescia facing Ferencvaros in a Group C blockbuster.
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