Spain, Hungary and Serbia all opened Group E of the European Men’s Water Polo Championships in Belgrade with convincing victories, underlining why the race for the two semifinal places is likely to remain a three-way battle between the tournament heavyweights. With six matches still to play in the group, early margins have been established—but nothing is decided yet.
Defending champions Spain delivered the most emphatic performance of the day, overwhelming Montenegro 14:6. Hungary were pushed harder by a spirited Netherlands side before pulling clear late on for a 16:11 win, while hosts Serbia controlled proceedings against France to claim a 14:10 victory.
Spain dominate Montenegro
Montenegro 6–14 Spain
(1:4, 2:5, 2:5, 1:0)
Spain scorers: Granados 4, Daura 2, Munarriz 2, Biel 2, Bustos, Gomila, Larumbe
Montenegro scorers: Perković 2, Špajić, Matković, Gojković
What was billed as a potential derby quickly turned into a one-sided contest. Spain set the tone early, racing to a 3:0 lead inside five minutes and never allowing Montenegro to settle. Their defensive intensity and relentless swimming created constant pressure, while goalkeeper Unai Aguirre was outstanding from the opening sprint.
Aguirre recorded 16 saves in the first three quarters at an impressive 76% efficiency, effectively closing the door on Montenegro’s attack. By the 10th minute Spain were already 6:1 ahead, and Álvaro Granados extended the advantage to 8:2 soon after. The champions went into halftime leading 9:2 and reached 12:4 midway through the third quarter, allowing them to ease off in the closing stages.
Montenegro struggled to find solutions throughout and missed two penalty shots in the first half. As the match wore on, their shooting grew increasingly harmless, while Spain rotated their lineup and conserved energy for the challenges ahead.
Spain head coach David Martín praised his team’s defensive focus.
“We put the emphasis on defense and did a very good job. Unai was amazing, but all the players fulfilled their tasks. We started very strongly, swam a lot, and built a big lead early. Defense was the key.”
Granados, who scored four goals in the opening phase, stressed the importance of preparation.
“We prepared this match in detail. Our start slowed Montenegro down. The scoreline doesn’t fully reflect their quality, but we were better than against Serbia. We can’t afford to lose any game now—we must keep improving.”
Montenegro captain and goalkeeper Petar Tešanović was blunt in his assessment.
“We played very poorly from the start. We didn’t show enough aggressiveness or desire. Everything was decided early, and Spain slowed down in the fourth quarter.”
Hungary pull away late against the Netherlands
Hungary 16–11 Netherlands
(4:4, 4:2, 3:4, 5:1)
Hungary scorers: Fekete 5, V. Vigvári 4, Manhercz 2, Angyal, Á. Nagy, A. Nagy, Vismeg, V. Varga
Netherlands scorers: van der Weijden 3, Te Riele 3, Gbadamassi 2, De Mey, S. Hessels, Hofmeijer
After their eye-catching display against Serbia earlier in the week, the Netherlands once again showed how far they have progressed—but were ultimately undone by Hungary’s experience.
The opening quarter was even, with Hungary leading only once. The Magyars then tightened up defensively in the second period and briefly stretched the gap to three goals, with Vince Vigvári finishing a counterattack to make it 8:5. The Dutch responded impressively, producing a 3:0 run to level at 8:8 and later at 10:10 late in the third quarter.
That, however, was the final time the scores were level. Hungary regained control through Vismeg and then dominated the closing minutes. A goalkeeper change at the final break proved decisive, as Soma Vogel replaced Kristóf Csoma and conceded just one goal—a penalty—in the last quarter.
With Hungary leading 14:11, the match was effectively sealed when Tim De Mey was excluded for a violent foul following a VAR review, leaving the Netherlands unable to mount another comeback.
Hungary head coach Zsolt Varga said his team knew what to expect.
“We were aware of the Netherlands’ quality. They nearly beat Serbia and played very well against Spain. There were mistakes, but in the crucial moments we stayed patient and disciplined in defense.”
Dutch coach Branko Mitrović struck a balanced note.
“Hungary’s experience made the difference. Still, we showed again that we can compete with the top teams when we stick to the plan. These matches are part of our learning process.”
Hungary remain the only team in Group E with a perfect record, collecting all nine points so far.
Serbia control France
France 10–14 Serbia
(2:4, 2:5, 2:3, 4:2)
France scorers: Vernoux 4, Marion-Vernoux 3, Bouet 2, Vitrant
Serbia scorers: Drašković 3, S. Rašović 2, Ćuk 2, N. Jakšić 2, Dedović 2, V. Rašović, Lukić
France arrived in Belgrade with one of the youngest squads in the tournament and plenty of motivation, having beaten Serbia at the European Championships four years ago. They started confidently and even led 2:1 midway through the first quarter with two power-play goals.
That advantage was short-lived. Serbia responded by shutting France out for nearly ten minutes, building a decisive 6:0 run to go ahead 7:2. Playing without suspended Dušan Mandić, the hosts relied on a deep, compact defense that forced France into low-percentage long-range shots.
By halftime, Serbia had re-established a five-goal cushion at 9:4, and when Nikola Dedović stretched the lead to seven late in the third quarter, the outcome was effectively settled. France showed character in the final period, scoring four times, but the gap proved too large to bridge.
Group E standings after three rounds
- Hungary – 3 played, +16 goal difference, 9 points
- Serbia – 3 played, +5, 8 points
- Spain – 3 played, +14, 6 points
- Montenegro – 3 played, −10, 3 points
- Netherlands – 3 played, −12, 1 point
- France – 3 played, −13, 0 points
What’s next
Group F gets underway on Saturday, with the favorites expected to assert themselves. Greece face Turkiye at 15:30, Italy meet Georgia at 18:00, and Croatia look to return to winning ways against Romania at 20:30.
In Group E, attention already turns to the remaining head-to-head clashes between Spain, Hungary and Serbia—matches that are likely to decide who books the coveted semifinal tickets.
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