Champions League Men: Title-holders FTC qualify, as Mladost stun Olympiacos with last-second winner

FTC-Telekom were held 4-4 at half-time by Oradea, as the Romanians put up a great fight – only to be completely outclassed in the second half after the title-holders switched gears and staged a 0-13 rout. Fradi became the first team to reach the Quarter Final Stage. Tuesday’s other clashes offered a lot more excitement. Mladost won an absolute thriller to end Olympiacos’ unbeaten run – the Croats came back from three goals down to bury a last-gasp penalty. Hannover’s home trap worked again, as after their stunning win over Sabadell, the Germans produced an even bigger upset by downing last season’s F4 participants Marseille. Brescia and Primorac were part of another scoring festival. The Italians prevailed, and only a series of unlikely results may prevent them from going through.

2025/26 Champions League Men
Group Stage, Day 4
Tuesday 18 November

Group A

HAVK Mladost (CRO) 14-13 Olympiacos SFP (GRE)

Group C

CSM Oradea (ROU) 5-17 FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN)
AN Brescia (ITA) 19-16 VPK Primorac Kotor (MNE)

Group D

Waspo 98 Hannover (GER) 14-13 CN Marseille (FRA)

Group A

HAVK Mladost (CRO) 14-13 Olympiacos SFP (GRE)

The clash in Zagreb was an absolute thriller, decided by a penalty called at the moment the last buzzer went. Since Ivan Nagaev buried it, Mladost managed to end Olympiacos’ unbeaten streak.

The first half was evenly contested, with the lead changing hands constantly. The Greeks went in front twice before Josip Vrlic scored a fabulous goal from the centre, and just 42 seconds later Ante Vukicevic converted an extra to make it 3-2.

Konstantinos Kakaris levelled it with a close-range finish on a man-up. Then Panagiotis Tzortzatos stopped Konstantin Kharkov’s penalty, which led to Gergo Zalanki’s blistering shot at the other end 16 seconds from the first break for 3-4.

A nice set-up found Vrlic on the 2m line, who equalised 45 seconds into the second quarter. Both teams then missed a six-on-five, and Daniel Angyal’s fine action shot from the perimeter put Olympiacos ahead once more at 4-5.

Vukicevic was on target again, and Matias Biljaka’s marvellous lob made it 6-5. However, in just 40 seconds it turned back – Dimitrios Dimou buried an extra, then Olympiacos forced a penalty on another six-on-five, and Konstantinos Genidounias scored for 6-7.

Tzortzatos made a couple of big saves to hold that score until half-time, including another man-down stop early in the third. Franko Lazic finally beat him, tying it at 7-7.

The Greek reply was swift – a great feed to Ioannis Alafragkis at the far post for an easy put-away on an extra, followed midway through the third by Ioannis Fountoulis burying a penalty.

For the first time, there was a two-goal gap, soon extended to three as Angyal’s block killed Mladost’s extra, and Evangelos Pouros found the back of the net on the Greeks’ man-up.

At 7-10, Olympiacos seemed in control. They denied another Croatian six-on-five and had a couple of shots to go up by four but missed them.

Still, even though Ivan Nagaev pulled off his trademark no-look shot from a sharp angle on Mladost’s last extra – which also ended the hosts’ drought after 5:30 minutes – Olympiacos still looked stronger and more composed.

That changed 55 seconds into the fourth when Andrija Basic netted a fine action goal, which was significant in a game where most goals had come from extras and penalties.

The Greeks’ offensive rhythm dropped significantly, as they missed another extra, and with 4:03 on the clock, Kharkov’s rocket brought the home side back to even at 10-10.

Olympiacos’ troubles continued as Mauro Cubranic saved Zalanki’s penalty on the next possession.

At 10-10, it was a huge turning point. Amidst some controversy, Mladost’s man-up goal was annulled. A six-on-four came instead, which they missed. Moments later, a penalty was called for an illegal re-entry, and Nagaev scored to extend the Croatian run to 4-0.

The Greeks could barely find their way back, missing another extra before converting one and then forcing a penalty – Konstantinos Genidounias scored for 11-11 with 1:57 remaining.

What followed were the craziest two minutes of the season.

Kharkov fired in a brilliant action goal immediately, but Genidounias equalised from a man-up after a time-out, with 1:08 to go. At the other end, following an exclusion and a time-out, Lazic finished brilliantly 38 seconds from time for 13-12.

Just 10 seconds later, Olympiacos forced a six-on-five, which Angyal scored from after a precise delivery with 0:15 on the clock to make it 13-13.

Another exclusion came at 0:05, and a penalty was called right on the buzzer. The Greeks hotly debated it, though the replay showed contact from Angyal justified the call (no VAR is in place at this stage).

Nagaev calmly swam up to take it and left no chance for the goalie, securing three extremely valuable points for Mladost, potentially worth a berth in the quarters.

Group C

CSM Oradea (ROU) 5-17 FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN)

Fradi came within 27 seconds of something they hadn’t experienced in years – a scoreless quarter. Their attack simply wasn’t firing, and whenever they did produce a chance – including three six-on-fives – Oradea goalkeeper Lazar Dobozanov was there with a big save.

At the other end, the title-holders gradually locked in defensively. Although they conceded early when Filip Gardasevic fired home from distance just 27 seconds into the game, the Hungarians quickly tightened up.

Akos Nagy finally broke the ice with a delicate lob that dropped into the net, bringing Fradi level at 1-1 with 27 seconds left in the first period.

FTC’s outside threats began to find their range in the second quarter, as Krisztian Manhercz and Marton Vamos struck with well-taken action goals.

But the hosts kept responding. At 3-3 they even earned a six-on-four but squandered it, only for Vendel Vigvari to convert the ensuing man-up.

Once again, though, the equaliser came quickly. Flavius Ilisie scored with 26 seconds remaining, making it 4-4 and setting up what looked like a very competitive second half.

Few teams have been able to match Fradi this season – but at that point, CSM were doing exactly that. However, any hopes of an upset were shattered within minutes of the restart.

FTC delivered a devastating show of quality, abruptly shifting gears and blowing CSM away. In a three-minute burst they opened up a three-goal lead, converting two man-ups and a penalty, and backing each strike with a defensive stop on the subsequent man-down. The Romanians were rocked and couldn’t recover.

Oradea briefly halted the surge, but only temporarily. Their earlier efficiency disappeared, and they could no longer break down the Hungarians’ defence.

Two more six-on-fives went begging, and Fradi punished them ruthlessly, scoring three times in the final two minutes of the quarter.

The 0-6 run effectively decided the contest. CSM collapsed completely in the fourth, while the title-holders showed no intention of easing off, adding seven more goals and completing a remarkable 0-13 stretch.

Few would have predicted at half-time that the hosts’ only goal of the second half would come 24 seconds from the end – and only via a risky counterattack.

While Fradi once again produced their expected scoring output, the real story was at the other end. After conceding double digits in each of the first three rounds, they held their opponents to just five. This was Ferencvaros at their dominant best – playing in a class entirely of their own.

Group C

AN Brescia (ITA) 19-16 VPK Primorac Kotor (MNE)

After both sides were part of a scoring festival against title-holders Ferencvaros on Day 2 and Day 3 respectively, Brescia and Primorac produced one as a joint venture – a 35-goal show, where the Italians got the upper hand at the end.

The opening period was somewhat modest compared to what followed. Primorac played out a 7-6 first quarter against Ferencvaros last week, now the second eight minutes in Brescia ended in a 7-7 partial result.

Offences ruled the field, with the hosts going three goals up right away, but after 8-5, the Montenegrins managed to score back-to-back goals, yet never had the chance for an equaliser as Brescia restarted producing goals.

It was a bit of madness inside the last minute, goals galore, as Filippo Ferrero reset the three-goal gap 26 seconds from time, but Nikola Brkic pulled one back again for 11-9.

And it was only half-time, so more goals were to come – and come they did.

Primorac missed an extra in their first possession, and that was punished a bit later as Mateo Giri and Ferrero doubled Brescia’s lead in three minutes. Still, their rivals weren’t done and converted two six-on-fives to make it 13-11.

The Italians responded well once more, but couldn’t keep the three-goal difference, as once again, last-minute drama saw two more goals from the Montenegrins.

Petar Cvetkovic’s strike with 0:03 on the clock pushed the score to 15-13.

In the fourth, Kotor drew first blood. Yosuke Inaba buried a six-on-four, and Primorac had a chance to make it even but couldn’t create real danger at 15-14.

Alessandro Balzarini’s fine double then left no room for another comeback.

The Montenegrins missed a couple of man-ups, and Giri finished off a counter for 18-14. Though Primorac had a late surge and shaved off two with 2:35 remaining, they were unable to come closer, and Vincenzo Dolce closed out the match with a counter.

This practically sent Brescia to the next round, as it’s hard to see them lose to Oradea by six goals in the last round (provided the Romanians beat Primorac in Kotor in two weeks).

Group D

Waspo 98 Hannover (GER) 14-13 CN Marseille (FRA)

One may have thought Waspo’s win over Sabadell was a one-off, where the Spaniards were unable to give their best shot(s). Now, the Germans have downed Marseille too, so it can no longer be called a miracle or a coincidence.

Though Hannover took a 2-1 lead, Adam Nagy converted two man-ups in a minute to put Marseille ahead after the first period at 2-3.

Marko Macan levelled it from Hannover’s first possession at the start of the second, but the French seemed to find the right rhythm at both ends of the pool.

Their defence stood firm, and up front they buried two extras to make it 3-5. The third one was missed, though, while Niclas Schipper broke Waspo’s six-minute-long silence.

All of Marseille’s previous hard work went down the drain in a minute, as they missed another six-on-five and Macan’s fierce perimeter shot brought the teams back to even, 5-5, with 38 seconds remaining in the half.

Once Denis Strelezkij put Hannover ahead again 32 seconds into the third, Marseille’s game began showing signs of shaken confidence.

A six-on-four helped them level, and after a quick exchange of goals, Waspo hit two in a span of 34 seconds. At 9-7, the French seemed to be in trouble.

A time-out helped. Vladan Spaic hit a brilliant shot from the centre, and Romain Marion Vernoux converted an extra 51 seconds later for 9-9. But Marseille’s problems continued as Petar Tesanovic failed to block two long-range shots from Antonio Buha and Luk Jaeschke, giving Waspo an 11-9 lead before the final quarter.

Strelezkij’s rocket also found the net right away in the fourth, and the home side led by three for the first time. The French missed a six-on-four, survived a man-down, and soon Nagy netted a simple extra.

Mark Gansen then followed with a perimeter goal, Waspo’s fourth action goal in a row from distance.

Thomas Vernoux attempted a long-range shot that found the net, but Hannover forced an exclusion, and Schipper scored from the left wing for 14-11, with 2:33 on the clock.

Marseille had a six-on-five, and Nagy buried it after a regained ball, leaving the French with two minutes to save the game and force a shootout.

They couldn’t score on the next possession, and even though they killed Waspo’s following man-up, the clock was running down. Nagy’s fifth goal arrived too late for Marseille, 19 seconds from time.

The Germans ran out the remaining seconds and stay in the hunt for the qualifying spots, while a second straight defeat puts Marseille in a very challenging position, as they now need to grab points against Spain’s top two sides to reach the next stage.

Watch Champions League action live on European Aquatics TV

For full Champions League fixtures, results, stats and tables, click here

Stay tuned to the European Aquatics Water Polo social media accounts for more news and live updates on Facebook and Instagram

Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics

The post Champions League Men: Title-holders FTC qualify, as Mladost stun Olympiacos with last-second winner first appeared on European Aquatics®.