DFVE, Spandau, Terrassa and Rapallo all winners on day one of women’s Champions League qualifiers

Besides two big wins, by CN Terrassa and Dunaujvaros, two matches produced sheer drama on the opening day of the Preliminary Round in the Champions League Women. Spandau 04 Berlin came back from five goals down to upset Alimos NAC Betsson with a last-gasp winner from Barbara Bujka, while the Italian in-house battle between Trieste and Rapallo ended in a shootout where Rapallo prevailed.

2025/26 Champions League Women
Qualification Round
Day 1, Friday 26 September 2025

Group A (Glyfada)

ANC Glyfada (GRE) 8-19 CN Terrassa (ESP)

Group B (Berlin)

Spandau 04 Berlin (GER) 13-12 Alimos NAC Betsson (GRE)

Group C (Dunaujvaros)

DFVE Vizilabda (HUN) 27-6 Grand Nancy AC (FRA)

Group D (Dunaujvaros)

Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) 10-10 (3-4P) Rapallo Pallanuoto (ITA)

Group A (Glyfada)

ANC Glyfada (GRE) 8-19 CN Terrassa (ESP)

Terrassa showed no mercy against Glyfada as the Spaniards stormed into a 0-4 lead before the hosts managed to score their first 10 seconds before the first break.

The gap didn’t change by half-time, so at 3-6, the Greeks perhaps had some hopes to make it tighter in the second half.

However, the lethal duo of Irene Casado and Panni Szegedi hitting two apiece in 2:19 minutes expanded Terrassa’s lead to 3-10. Pilar Pena also soon added another from a counter and this 0-5 rush killed the party.

The Spanish stopped at 19, with Casado and Szegedi both netting five, and it’s not risky to say that an 11-goal victory should be enough to seal a Group Stage spot for Terrassa.

Group B (Berlin)

Spandau 04 Berlin (GER) 13-12 Alimos NAC Betsson (GRE)

Spandau caused the biggest upset on the opening day by downing Alimos in dramatic fashion. The Greeks were the overwhelming favourites to win this match, and they started the game accordingly.

After 1-1, they hit four action goals in a row, and deep into the second they were 3-8 up. A time-out by Spandau helped halt the onslaught, as the Germans hit two in 38 seconds and that proved to be a big boost for them.

Ira Deike added one more right away in the third and that forced a time-out from the other bench. This one didn’t help the Greeks as much though, as they missed their six on five, while the hosts cut the difference to one from their extra.

When Jessica Milicich stopped Maria Papadopoulou’s penalty, Alimos were clearly in trouble. And the other Deike sibling, Gesa, put away another six on five to level things up.

After 8:40 minutes, Fleurien Bosveld could break Alimos’ silence with an action goal, but Gesa Deike managed to equalise once more.

The Greeks regained their composure in the fourth and managed to rebuild a two-goal lead in three and a half minutes, then killed a woman-down.

But just like at 3-8, perhaps they sat too comfortably in the driving seat and Spandau came up with another astonishing surge. They hit three action goals in a row in a span of 1:48 minutes to go ahead for the first time at 12-11.

The end produced some dramatic scenes, with Maria Patra hitting one from action for 12-12 with just 19 seconds left.

Spandau quickly called a time-out and agonisingly lost the ball, but they stole possession back in transition, which gifted them another chance.

Centre forward Barbara Bujka received the ball on 6m and blasted it straight into the net with 0:02 to go, and set the stadium alight.

The 40-year-old Hungarian leftie – European champion in 2016 – won the match for Spandau, and this might just as well land them on the big stage.

Group C (Dunaujvaros)

DFVE Vizilabda (HUN) 27-6 Grand Nancy AC (FRA)

Hosts DFVE didn’t leave it late to secure a huge win against Grand Nancy. The Hungarians raced into a 7-1 lead and even though the second period was somewhat balanced, a 10-0 thrashing in the third was a brutal demonstration of power from the home side.

With two World Championships silver medallists on board – Krisztina Garda and Nora Sumegi, who led the charge with five apiece – they added eight more in the fourth against the French, who named only 11 players on their team sheet, so it was no surprise the gap rose to more than 20 goals at the end.

Group D (Dunaujvaros)

Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) 10-10 (3-4P) Rapallo Pallanuoto (ITA)

The clash of the two Italian sides, Trieste and Rapallo, was as fierce as it could get.

It wasn’t just about prestige, as on paper, the third team in this group, Mataro, are the favourites, so the result of this in-house battle is likely to determine the second qualifier.

Sofia Giustini, having returned home from her Sabadell adventures, was on fire in the first period, netting three great goals to give Rapallo a 1-4 lead.

However, next came Trieste, who responded with five-goals in the second, while Giustini could add only one in this period, so their rivals were ahead 6-5 at half-time.

A tremendous battle ensued in the third, with no goals in five minutes. Then Lucrezia Cergol doubled Trieste’s lead, however, Nicole Zanetta replied in 20 seconds from action and 40 seconds before the last break, veteran Roberta Bianconi put away an extra for 7-7.

Bianconi was on target again early in the fourth to retake the lead, but Rapallo’s joy was short-lived as Trieste hit back with a 3-0 rush and only 2:09 minutes were remaining.

Still, it was enough time for Rapallo to save the game to a shootout, as Bianconi hit her third, again from an extra with 1:45 on the clock and they forced a penalty 18 seconds before the buzzer, which Benedetta Cabona buried for 10-10.

Ironically, Cabona failed to convert in the first round of the shootout, but her team-mates scored all their shots, while Trieste had two misses, which ultimately might cost them a place in the main competition.

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