Round 11 of the Italian League promised a derby atmosphere in Naples, but the anticipated showdown between Posillipo and Savona never materialised. Instead, it became a one-sided display of Savona’s defensive strength and attacking precision.
Posillipo struck twice in the opening two minutes for a brief 2:1 lead, but the hosts’ momentum evaporated almost instantly. Over the next sixteen minutes, they failed to find a single goal. Savona—anchored by a superb performance from Marco Del Lungo—shut the door completely and produced an 8:0 run to surge ahead 9:2 early in the third quarter.
From there, the visitors controlled every aspect of the match, stretching their lead to nine goals by the final whistle. Young Hungarian talent Oliver Leinweber starred with five goals, while veterans Pietro Figlioli and Lorenzo Occhione added three each.
Savona remain firmly in third place, now seven points clear of Posillipo.
Champions League contenders keep rolling
The league’s two European giants showed no signs of slowing down.
Pro Recco overwhelmed Roma Vis Nova 25:9, with Francesco Di Fulvio and Giacomo Cannella each scoring five.
Brescia were equally ruthless, beating Salerno 19:9, led by four goals apiece from Vincenzo Dolce and Mario Del Basso.
Tight battles elsewhere
While the top sides cruised, the remaining fixtures produced far more drama.
Trieste, still feeling the sting of their Euro Cup elimination in Szolnok, suffered another blow at home. Olympic Roma built a 7:3 lead early in the third quarter and survived repeated Trieste comebacks to take an important 11:10 win. The result lifts Olympic Roma to sixth, just one point behind their hosts.
In Palermo, Florentia celebrated their first points of the season with a tight 9:8 victory over Telimar. The home side led 3:0 early, but Florentia gradually fought back, sealing the win when Benvenuti scored with just over three minutes remaining.
The Sicilian derby weekend brought more heartbreak elsewhere: Ortigia fell 11:10 to Canottieri Napoli, who netted the decisive goal in the 29th minute before both defenses locked the game down for a tense finish.
In Genoa, Iren Quinto edged De Akker in a penalty shootout after a 12:12 draw, winning the shootout 4:1 to claim two valuable points.
Round 11 Results
- Posillipo – Savona 6:15 (2:3, 0:5, 2:3, 2:4)
- Pro Recco – Roma Vis Nova 25:9 (5:2, 6:1, 8:2, 6:4)
- Salerno – Brescia 9:19 (2:4, 1:5, 2:5, 4:5)
- Iren Genova Quinto – De Akker 16:13 (4:2, 4:2, 2:4, 2:4; PSO 4:1)
- Telimar – Florentia 8:9 (2:0, 1:3, 3:3, 2:3)
- Canottieri Napoli – Ortigia 11:10 (5:4, 3:1, 2:4, 1:1)
- Trieste – Olympic Roma 10:11 (3:3, 0:3, 4:2, 3:3)
Standings After Round 11
- Pro Recco – 33
- Brescia – 33
- Savona – 27
- Posillipo – 20
- Trieste – 18
- Olympic Roma – 17
- Iren Genova Quinto – 15
- Roma Vis Nova – 14
- Salerno – 13
- De Akker – 13
- Canottieri Napoli – 12
- Telimar – 9
- Ortigia – 4
- Florentia – 3
Read more about Italian water polo
Follow Waterpolo 360 on Facebook, Instagram and X