Conference Cup Men: Primorje among five teams to secure a ticket to next round on day two

Wins for VK Primorje Erste Bank, CN Posillipo, VK Mornar Split and Panionios GSS on day two of the men’s Conference Cup Qualification Round I were enough to see them all book tickets to the next phase. Solartradex CN Mataro will also advance, despite not playing on Saturday, thanks to Primorje’s victory against Galatasaray.

2025/26 Conference Cup Men
Qualification Round I, Day 2
Saturday 8 November 2025

Group A
(Utrecht, NED)

UZSC Utrecht (NED) 10-19 AC PAOK (GRE)
Endo Plus Service Honved (HUN) 13-13 (3-5P) CN Posillipo (ITA)

Group B
(Nea Smyrni, GRE)

CN Tenerife Echeyde (ESP) 11-15 Panionios GSS (GRE)
PVK Budva Budvanska Rivijera (MNE) 19-9 White Sharks Hannover (GER)

Group C
(Split, CRO)

Vitoria Sport Clube (POR) 20-6 VK Banja Luka (BIH)
Sete Natation (FRA) 9-16 VK Mornar Split (CRO)

Group D
(Belgrade, SRB)

EVK Zaibas (LTU) 16-13 VK Partizan Belgrade (SRB)
SG Neukolln Berlin (GER) 6-25 De Akker Team (ITA)

Group E
(Rijeka, CRO)

VK Primorje Erste Bank (CRO) 27-7 Galatasaray SK (TUR)

Group A
(Utrecht, NED)

UZSC Utrecht (NED) 10-19 AC PAOK (GRE)

AC PAOK swept UZSC Utrecht aside to ensure they head into the final day with their destiny in their own hands. A win of any sort against Endo Plus Service Honved on Sunday will be enough to see them advance, but it’s a big ask.

Against Utrecht, the Greeks hit the ground running, storming to a 1-4 lead at the first break, and they continued that momentum in the second, building a 3-9 advantage by half-time.

Both sides hit six in the third to take the score to 9-15, before PAOK regained control in the fourth to run out comfortable winners.

Captain Ioannis Kechalaris led the way for the Greeks with five goals, and he was ably supported by the likes of Marin Delic, who hit four.

Endo Plus Service Honved (HUN) 13-13 (3-5P) CN Posillipo (ITA)

Arguably the game of the tournament so far, the clash between Endo Plus Service Honved and CN Posillipo lived up to all expectations, as penalties were needed to separate the two former European champions.

The Hungarians looked to have a slight edge at times, opening up a two-goal advantage on three occasions (7-5 and 8-6 in the third, and 12-10 in the fourth), but the Italians kept pegging them back.

Mattia Rocchino scored their seventh equaliser of the night, 1:05 from time, to force a shootout. The Italians were flawless with their shots, scoring all five, while Luca Izzo saved Bendeguz Ekler’s effort in the second round to secure the two points and qualification.

Group B
(Nea Smyrni, GRE)

CN Tenerife Echeyde (ESP) 11-15 Panionios GSS (GRE)

Panionios GSS endured a terrible start to their clash with CN Tenerife Echeyde, slipping 4-0 behind after everything they tried went wrong – including three missed man-up opportunities.

The Greeks regrouped at the first break and finally got going 48 seconds into the second, with Ioannis Papakos ending their drought.

Tenerife instantly restored the four-goal gap at 5-1, but the wounded Panionios were starting to click and hammered in eight without reply to take full control at 5-9 midway through the third.

The Spaniards closed the gap to three by the start of the fourth (8-11), but that was all they could manage, as Panionios kept picking them off to win by four in the end, and book their ticket to the next round.

PVK Budva Budvanska Rivijera (MNE) 19-9 White Sharks Hannover (GER)

White Sharks Hannover slumped to their second defeat of the weekend, ending their chances of progressing, while PVK Budva Budvanska Rivijera’s win keeps them second in the group.

The Montenegrins suffered few headaches against Hannover, winning all four quarters as the young Germans began to fade as early as the second quarter.

By half-time, Budva were 10-4 clear, and their advantage continued to grow until the final buzzer.

Marko Milic was their star performer again, carrying on from where he left off on Friday, hitting five goals to take his weekend tally to 14.

Budva now need a win against already-qualified Panionios in their final game on Sunday to guarantee a spot in the next round.

Group C
(Split, CRO)

Vitoria Sport Clube (POR) 20-6 VK Banja Luka (BIH)

Vitoria Sport Clube kept their slim hopes of progression alive by earning their first points of the weekend with a comprehensive victory over VK Banja Luka.

Luis Moreira was in fine form for the Portuguese outfit, finishing the night with a seven-goal haul that helped guide his team to a win that was never in doubt – especially after they opened up a 7-0 lead inside the first nine minutes.

A second heavy defeat for the Bosnians means they can now start looking towards faring better in the Challenger Cup – a competition where they could face Vitoria once again.

Sete Natation (FRA) 9-16 VK Mornar Split (CRO)

After having it all their own way against VK Banka Luka on day one (winning by almost 40 goals), Sete Natation were brought back to reality by VK Mornar Split.

Duje Zivkovic helped inspire the hosts to victory, leading the scoring with five, as his team cemented their place in the next round with relative ease.

Sete were always chasing the game after trailing by two in the first (2-4) and by four at half-time (4-8).

They did manage to pull the score back to 7-10 late in the third, but that was as close as they got, as Mornar responded with four unanswered goals to help seal the win.

Group D
(Belgrade, SRB)

EVK Zaibas (LTU) 16-13 VK Partizan Belgrade (SRB)

Last season’s Challenger Cup runners-up bounced back from their day one defeat to De Akker by winning a thriller against VK Partizan Belgrade – a result which moved them up to second in the group.

After an evenly balanced first half (7-7), the third quarter proved decisive as Zaibas capitalised on a series of six-on-fives to open up a 12-9 lead heading into the final eight minutes.

The Lithuanians crucially scored the first two goals of the fourth to extend their advantage to five (14-9), and they were able to close out the game from there.

Marko Jelaca was their standout player, top-scoring with six, and with a final game to come against SG Neukolln Berlin on Sunday, a ticket to the next round is well within their grasp.

SG Neukolln Berlin (GER) 6-25 De Akker Team (ITA)

De Akker all but booked their place in the next round with another emphatic victory in Belgrade. After demolishing EVK Zaibas on day one, they smashed SG Neukolln Berlin on day two.

Balazs Erdelyi and Niccolo Di Murro led the way with four goals each, as the Berliners were totally outclassed from start to finish.

The Italians were well out of sight at half-time (1-13), and after finishing on 25, only a huge defeat on Sunday against the hosts would see them drop out of the top two.

Group E
(Rijeka, CRO)

VK Primorje Erste Bank (CRO) 27-7 Galatasaray SK (TUR)

VK Primorje Erste Bank made their Conference Cup entrance in style, securing a ticket to the next round at the first time of asking as they condemned Galatasaray SK to a second successive defeat.

The Croatians’ progression was effectively sealed as early as the second quarter, as they opened up a 10-3 lead after just 10 minutes of play.

By half-time it was 15-5, and the only question remaining was how big the winning margin would be.

With the safety net of the Challenger Cup awaiting, the Türkish side limped towards the finish line, scoring just two more, while Primorje kept piling on the pressure to win by a margin of 20 goals.

Fabio Crippa did most of the damage, top-scoring with six, while Marko Radulovic was close behind with five.

The result was also the ideal scenario for the watching Solartradex CN Mataro, as it guarantees them a place in the top two, whatever the result of their clash with the hosts on Sunday.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics

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