In one of the most anticipated clashes of Round 19 in the Italian League, Brescia secured a hard-fought 10–8 victory over a depleted Trieste side. The win ties Brescia for first place with Pro Recco, while Trieste, struggling with a reduced roster and the absence of their first-choice goalkeeper Lazovic, now shares fourth spot with Posillipo and Roma Vis Nova as the playoff race heats up.
Although many expected Trieste to succumb easily with only 12 players at their disposal, the match remained fiercely competitive until the final moments. Brescia jumped to an early 2–0 lead before Trieste rallied with three unanswered goals, leaving the hosts with a slender 4–3 advantage at the first break.
In the early stage of the second period, Brescia reasserted their dominance when Max Irving converted a man-up opportunity to extend the lead to 5–3. Trieste fought back in the third quarter, with Vuk Draskovic leveling the score after converting a penalty shot to make it 8–8. Brescia’s Jacopo Alesiani then restored a one-goal advantage with a power-play goal, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. Just 45 seconds before the end, Irving again proved decisive by scoring during a 6-on-5 attack, sealing the win at 10–8. Irving finished as Brescia’s top scorer with three goals, while Draskovic led Trieste with four.
Elsewhere, Pro Recco chalked up a commanding 14–6 victory over Ortigia in Sicily. Francesco Condemi, who switched sides from Ortigia to Recco two years ago, spearheaded the champions’ attack with four goals against his former team.
Roma Vis Nova edged out local rivals Olympic Roma 13–11 in a tightly contested battle. With Viskovic and Antonucci each chipping in three goals for Roma Vis Nova, the hosts maintained a steady lead despite Olympic’s persistent challenge, as De Robertis and Vidovic accounted for four and three goals respectively for the visitors.
Posillipo delivered a dominant performance by demolishing Onda Forte 17–7, with Radulovic and Mattiello both netting four goals. In Bologna, De Akker kept its hopes of a fourth-place climb alive with an 18–12 win over Catania, while Savona cruised to a 17–9 away victory over Florentia. Ten Savona players found the net, with Bruni and Guidi each contributing three goals, virtually cementing their playoff position in third place.
2024/25 Italian League, Round 19 Results
- Brescia – Trieste: 10–8 (4:3, 2:2, 3:3, 1:0)
- Ortigia – Pro Recco: 6–14 (2:4, 0:1, 2:4, 2:5)
- Olympic Roma – Roma Vis Nova: 11–13 (1:3, 3:4, 4:2, 3:4)
- Onda Forte – Posillipo: 7–17 (2:4, 0:3, 4:7, 1:3)
- De Akker – Catania: 18–12 (4:2, 4:3, 7:3, 3:4)
- Florentia – Savona: 9–17 (1:4, 3:4, 2:5, 3:4)
- Telimar – Iren Genova Quinto: 9–6 (2:2, 4:3, 2:1, 1:0)
Current Standings
- Pro Recco: 19 – 55
- Brescia: 19 – 55
- Savona: 19 – 48
- Trieste: 19 – 34
- Roma Vis Nova: 19 – 34
- Posillipo: 19 – 34
- De Akker: 19 – 31
- Ortigia: 19 – 23
- Telimar: 19 – 20
- Florentia: 19 – 18
- Quinto: 19 – 16
- Olympic Roma: 19 – 11
- Onda Forte: 19 – 5
- Catania: 19 – 4