Olympiacos claimed their ninth consecutive Greek Cup title after edging Panathinaikos 13:12 in a dramatic final in Vari, a southern suburb of Athens. It marks the club’s 27th Greek Cup triumph overall and further underlines their domestic dominance.
A final worthy of the rivalry
The clash lived up to the intensity of one of Greek water polo’s fiercest rivalries. Panathinaikos were the sharper side in the opening half, building two-goal leads on three occasions (3:1, 6:4, 7:5). Despite that early control, Olympiacos remained within striking distance and trailed by just one at halftime (7:6).
After the break, momentum shifted. Olympiacos moved in front for the first time at 8:7 and again at 9:8. However, Panathinaikos responded strongly, scoring twice late in the third quarter to take a 10:9 lead into the final eight minutes.
The tension escalated in the fourth. Olympiacos regained the advantage at 11:10, only for Panathinaikos to answer once more and lead 12:11 with less than two minutes remaining.
In a heated finale, both head coaches — Dimitrios Mazis of Panathinaikos and Elvis Fatović of Olympiacos — received red cards and were unable to guide their teams through the decisive closing moments.
Champions’ composure in crunch time
Olympiacos handled the pressure better. Gergo Zalanki converted a man-up opportunity in the 31st minute to level the score at 12:12. Then, with just 19 seconds left on the clock, Konstantinos Genidounias delivered the decisive strike, sealing a 13:12 victory.
Genidounias led the way with five goals in the final and was voted MVP of the tournament. Zalanki added four, while Angyal, Kakaris, Papanastasiou and Pouros each contributed one.
For Panathinaikos, Papasifakis and Skoumpakis scored three apiece. Gkiouvetsis and Chalyvopoulos added two each, with Papanikolaou and Banicevic also on the scoresheet.
Road to the title
In the semifinals, Olympiacos defeated Apollon Smyrnis 15:8, pulling away with a dominant 6:1 fourth quarter. Panathinaikos reached the final after overcoming Panionios 15:11.
Once again, when silverware was on the line, Olympiacos found a way — securing a ninth straight Greek Cup and reinforcing their grip on the domestic scene.
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