The frontrunners of the Italian Serie A —Pro Recco, Brescia, and Savona—secured victories with minimal resistance in Round 21 of the national championship.
Savona faced a tricky challenge against fourth-placed Trieste, with both teams locked at 3:3 early on. However, Patchaliev’s goal in the seventh minute gave Savona a 4:3 lead, setting the stage for dominance. After halftime, Savona broke away with a 3-0 run, entering the second half with a comfortable 7:3 lead. Trieste couldn’t mount a comeback, and Savona sealed a 15:11 victory, led by veteran Pietro Figlioli’s five-goal performance.
Brescia, too, faced a tough opponent in Roma Vis Nova, who matched Trieste in points for fourth place. The match saw early balance at 3:3, but Brescia took control with an explosive 8:0 run, establishing an 11:3 lead. Despite Roma’s late push, Brescia never looked back, clinching a 14:11 win with Balzarini netting three goals.
Pro Recco had the easiest assignment of the round, dispatching bottom-placed Catania 17:7, with Ben Hallock leading the charge with four goals.
Elsewhere, De Akker kept its playoff hopes alive with a thrilling 13:12 victory over Posillipo. The Naples-based side held a narrow 10:9 lead before the final quarter but lost momentum as De Akker surged ahead. Despite Posillipo pulling within a goal in the last 90 seconds, they failed to find an equalizer. Bragantini (De Akker) and Radulovic (Posillipo) both stood out with four goals each.
With this result, De Akker and Posillipo are now tied in points, just three behind Trieste and Roma Vis Nova, setting the stage for an intense battle for the final playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Telimar climbed to seventh place with a 13:11 win over Ortigia in the Sicilian derby.
2024/25 Italian League, Round 21 Results:
- Savona – Trieste 13:11 (4:3, 3:0, 3:3, 5:5)
- Brescia – Roma Vis Nova 14:11 (4:3, 5:0, 3:5, 2:3)
- Ortigia – Telimar 11:13 (4:4, 3:4, 0:3, 4:2)
- Catania – Pro Recco 7:17 (1:5, 3:4, 2:3, 1:5)
- De Akker – Posillipo 13:12 (4:5, 3:3, 2:2, 4:2)
- Olympic Roma – Onda Forte 16:13 (3:4, 3:3, 5:3, 5:3)
- Florentia – Iren Genova Quinto 11:11 (5:5, 3:4, 2:1, 1:1)
Standings After Round 21:
- Pro Recco – 61 pts
- Brescia – 61 pts
- Savona – 54 pts
- Trieste – 37 pts
- Roma Vis Nova – 37 pts
- Posillipo – 34 pts
- De Akker – 34 pts
- Telimar – 24 pts
- Ortigia – 23 pts
- Quinto – 20 pts
- Florentia – 19 pts
- Olympic Roma – 15 pts (20 games)
- Onda Forte – 5 pts
- Catania – 4 pts
With just a few rounds remaining, the battle for fourth place is heating up, while the league leaders continue their march towards the playoffs.