Pro Recco is officially through to the Quarter Final Stage of the 2026 Champions League.
The 11-time European champions defeated Novi Beograd 12:9 in Round 4 of Group B, mathematically securing their place among the top eight. They join Ferencváros, who qualified yesterday.
Elsewhere in Group B, Jadran Split earned their first points of the season with a 15:13 home win over Jadran Herceg Novi — keeping the Croatians in contention for second place alongside their Serbian and Montenegrin rivals.
In Budapest, Radnički claimed a valuable away victory, defeating Vasas 15:13 in Group A. The Kragujevac side remain firmly in the race for the next stage, while Vasas’ loss ends their hopes of climbing from the bottom of the group.
In Group D, Barceloneta took control of the pool and the standings, beating Sabadell 13:7 in the Spanish derby. With three wins, the reigning Spanish champions now sit alone at the top of the group.
2026 Champions League – Group Stage, Round 4
GROUP A
Vasas – Radnički 13:15
(3:4, 3:4, 4:5, 3:2)
Vasas: Batori 5, Lakatos 2, Varnai 2, Dala 2, Szalai 1, Ragacs 1
Radnički: Vlachopoulos 5, Prlainović 4, Đedović 2, S. Rašović 1, P. Jakšić 1, Ivanov 1
Radnički earned a deserved victory in Budapest — a very different contest from their meeting in Kragujevac earlier in the season. This time, the Serbian champions controlled the match from start to finish.
A strong opening saw Radnički take a 4:1 lead before Vasas struck twice in the final seconds of the first quarter to stay alive. The Hungarians briefly equalised at 4:4 and 5:5, but Radnički quickly tightened their defence and restored a three-goal margin (8:5). Goalkeeper Radoslav Filipović was outstanding early on, registering nine first-half saves.
Despite several attempts to claw back into the game — narrowing the gap to 8:9 and 9:10 — Vasas couldn’t find an answer to the combination of Vlachopoulos and Prlainović. Radnički pulled ahead to 15:11 late on, with Vasas scoring twice in the dying moments to soften the final scoreline.
Standings: 1. Olympiacos 9, 2. Mladost 9, 3. Radnički 6, 4. Vasas 0.
GROUP C
Jadran Split – Jadran Herceg Novi 15:13
(5:2, 4:3, 4:5, 2:3)
Jadran Split: Fatović 5, Matković 2, Marinić Kragić 2, Skejić 2, Berehulak 1, Tomašević 1, Zović 1
Jadran HN: Janović 4, V. Radović 2, Merkulov 3, Kholod 1, Valera 1, Gojković 1, Lazić 1
Jadran Split claimed their first win of the campaign to keep their Quarter Final hopes alive — but fell short of improving their overall goal difference, a factor that may become decisive after losing both previous matches to Novi Beograd and Jadran HN by three goals.
A superb 4:0 run midway through the first half (two from Fatović, two from Matković) powered Split to a 6:2 advantage. Goalkeeper Marko Bijač produced several key saves as the hosts built a 9:4 lead late in the second period.
But Herceg Novi responded strongly after halftime, narrowing the gap to 9:10 and 10:11. Each time, captain Jerko Marinić Kragić hit back immediately — impressive in his first Champions League match of the season. Split entered the final quarter with a 13:10 advantage, further stretched to 14:10.
Two quick goals from Herceg Novi reignited the contest, but a late 7-on-6 strike from 16-year-old Skejić restored a three-goal cushion (15:12). Merkulov’s long-range goal with three seconds left may yet prove important in the final standings.
Pro Recco – Novi Beograd 13:9
(3:2, 3:3, 5:2, 2:2)
Pro Recco: Granados 3, Cannella 2, Pavillard 2, Iocchi Gratta 2, Di Fulvio 1, Fondelli 1, Burić 1, Mladossich 1
Novi Beograd: Ćuk 2, Perković 2, Lukić 2, Trtović 1, Dimitrijević 1, Pljevanić 1
Although the score remained close for long stretches, Pro Recco were in control from the moment they first took the lead late in the opening period.
Both goalkeepers, Nicosia and Glušac, were excellent early on. Novi Beograd stayed competitive, trailing only 6:5 at halftime thanks to Trtović’s buzzer-beater. But Granados broke the match open in the third period — scoring from a penalty and then a man-up to make it 10:6. Moments later, a swift counterattack finished by Pavillard pushed the margin to 11:6.
Novi Beograd’s overall performance was encouraging, but their poor man-up conversion proved costly. They scored just six extra-player goals despite Recco committing 23 personal fouls.
Standings: 1. Pro Recco 12, 2. Jadran HN 6, 3. Novi Beograd 3, 4. Jadran Split 3.
GROUP D
Barceloneta – Sabadell 13:7
(2:3, 3:2, 5:1, 3:2)
Barceloneta: Tahull 3, Vigvári 3, Munárriz 2, Velotto 1, Biel 1, Sanahuja 1, Valls 1
Sabadell: Panerai 2, Barroso 2, Cabañas 1, Famera 1, Carrió 1
Sabadell edged ahead four times in the opening half, but Barceloneta equalised immediately on each occasion. Velotto’s long-range finish shortly before halftime gave the champions their first lead at 5:4.
From there, the match shifted decisively. After Sabadell made it 5:5, Barceloneta unleashed a decisive five-goal run between the 20th and 26th minutes, establishing an 11:5 advantage. The teams traded strikes in the final quarter, but the hosts were never threatened again.
With this confident performance, Barceloneta take a major step toward the Quarter Final Stage and move to the top of Group D.
Standings: 1. Barceloneta 9, 2. Marseille 6, 3. Hannover 6, 4. Sabadell 3.
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