Spandau 04 has become the first team to secure a place in the Euro Cup Group Stage, after convincingly defeating ZV De Zaan on the second day of qualification action in Athens. With two wins from two, the Berliners clinched the top spot in Group A, leaving the rest to battle for the remaining places.
In total, the group winners and the three best second-placed teams will qualify for the Group Stage.
Heading into the final day, nine clubs still have realistic—or at least mathematical—chances of progressing. Those already on six points, with strong goal differences, are well placed to advance: Trieste, Steaua, Solaris, Terrassa, and Szolnok. Meanwhile, Apollon Smyrnis, Vouliagmeni, and Crvena Zvezda remain in contention for the final spots.
Day 2 produced a number of twists and dramatic games. The standout clash came in Montpellier, where Crvena Zvezda edged Vouliagmeni in a penalty shootout (17:16) to keep their hopes alive.
Group A (Athens)
Spandau 04 – ZV De Zaan 21:9 (6:4, 5:1, 7:2, 3:2)
Spandau scorers: Kojic 4, Hofmann 3, Stamm 3, Andruskiewicz 2, Tkac 2, Chiru 2, Culina 2, Sekulic 1, Caraj 1, M. Nagy 1.
De Zaan scorers: Rempt 2, Meijn 2, Ketelaars 1, Haasnoot 1, Garancsy 1, Van den Dobbelsteen 1, Bucevic 1.
Apollon – Sport Management 14:12 (2:4, 6:2, 2:4, 4:2)
Apollon scorers: Daube 4, Bogdanovic 3, Solanakis 3, Laskaridis 2, Papas 1, Gardikas 1.
Sport Management scorers: Alekseev 5, Rogac 3, Matchavariani 1, Vuksanovic 1, Jakhaia 1, Saric 1.
After yesterday’s crucial win over Apollon, Spandau wasted no time in sealing first place. A blistering 4:0 opening run put the Dutch under pressure, and by half-time the Berliners led 11:5. A further 6:0 surge put the game well out of reach.
Apollon, meanwhile, fought back from an early deficit to edge out Sport Management. The Georgians twice came close to overturning the Greek side, but Apollon held their nerve in the final quarter.
Standings:
- Spandau 6 pts (+16)
- Apollon Smyrnis 3 pts (-2)
- Sport Management 2 pts (-2)
- ZV De Zaan 0 pts (-12)
October 5 fixtures: Spandau – Sport Management (10:00 CET), Apollon – De Zaan (12:00 CET).
Group B (Montpellier)
Vouliagmeni – Crvena Zvezda 16:17 (PSO 5:6)
Vouliagmeni scorers: Chatzis 3, Kastrinakis 3, Troulos 2, Ubovic 1, Te Riele 1.
Crvena Zvezda scorers: Pjesivac 3, M. Radovic 2, Vasic 2, Markovic 1, Petkovic 1, Sulc 1, Gak 1.
Montpellier – Trieste 13:23 (5:5, 2:6, 2:5, 4:7)
Montpellier scorers: Krekovic 2, Vix 2, Spillaert 2, Pal Antal 2, Stojanovic 2, Agrefilo 1, Mustur 1, Ben Romdhame 1.
Trieste scorers: V. Draskovic 8, Marziali 4, Podgornik 2, P. Faraglia 2, Liprandi 2, Mezzarobba 2, Razzi 1, Petronio 1.
Crvena Zvezda’s resilience was on full display as they clawed back late against Vouliagmeni to force penalties, where they prevailed after six tense rounds. Still, with only two points, their path to qualification remains uncertain. Vouliagmeni, with four points, remain favourites to top the group.
Trieste, meanwhile, pulled away from Montpellier thanks to a devastating 7:0 run in the second quarter, guaranteeing themselves at least second place.
Standings:
- Trieste 6 pts (+11)
- Vouliagmeni 4 pts (+14)
- Crvena Zvezda 2 pts (-1)
- Montpellier 0 pts (-24)
October 5 fixtures: Vouliagmeni – Trieste (10:00 CET), Montpellier – Crvena Zvezda (12:00 CET).
Group C (Šibenik)
Dinamo Tbilisi – Steaua 8:14 (0:3, 2:3, 2:4, 4:4)
Solaris – Rapid 21:14 (5:4, 4:3, 5:3, 7:4)
Steaua stormed to a 5:0 lead against Dinamo and never looked back, while Solaris needed time to shake off Rapid but eventually stretched the margin to seven. Both sides now sit on six points with strong goal differences, making them heavy favourites to progress.
Standings:
- Steaua 6 pts (+15)
- Solaris 6 pts (+10)
- Dinamo Tbilisi 0 pts (-9)
- Rapid 0 pts (-16)
October 5 fixtures: Dinamo – Rapid (10:30 CET), Solaris – Steaua (12:30 CET).
Group D (Terrassa)
Szolnok – OSC Potsdam 14:10 (2:5, 4:2, 4:2, 4:1)
Terrassa – Pays d’Aix 13:8 (2:3, 4:1, 4:2, 3:2)
After emphatic wins on Day 1, both Szolnok and Terrassa were pushed harder this time. OSC Potsdam shocked Szolnok early with a 5:2 lead, but the Hungarians regained control with a decisive 3:0 run in the third quarter. Terrassa also recovered from a slow start to wear down Pays d’Aix, who became the first team officially eliminated from European competition this season.
Standings:
- Terrassa 6 pts (+20)
- Szolnok 6 pts (+17)
- Pays d’Aix 0 pts (-18)
- OSC Potsdam 0 pts (-19)
October 5 fixtures: Pays d’Aix – OSC Potsdam (11:00 CET), Terrassa – Szolnok (13:00 CET)
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