Champions League Men: Highlights show and five talking points from matchday 5

1. It’s pure madness in Group D. At the end of the penultimate round, Barceloneta clinched the top spot – which wasn’t all that surprising, but the way they reached safe waters had been a far more extraordinary journey than anyone expected before the Group Stage.

After Day 2, that outcome was no longer certain, as they went down against Marseille at home. They bounced back, though, while Marseille went in the opposite direction – after two big victories, they lost three games in a row.

This week, Marseille blew a four-goal lead against Barceloneta. Even though they were still 11-8 up early in the fourth quarter, the Spaniards staged a magnificent 0-4 run to win the match with exactly the same score as in their Day 2 encounter with Marseille (11-12).

Unai Aguirre’s penalty stop 15 seconds from time sealed CNAB’s regular-time victory, securing them the top spot – and pushing Marseille even deeper into the abyss.

While the French head to the exit, a more stunning development sees Hannover set to advance to the next round.

All the Germans need is a little help from Sabadell, whom they just beat, to prevent Marseille from gaining all three points. Then Waspo could lose in Barceloneta, which is something everyone expects.

Few, however, had anticipated Hannover having nine points after three rounds. The three wins might be enough to go through if Sabadell, already out, finds some motivation to secure a positive result against Marseille on the final day.

2. Ever since FTC-Telekom became a powerhouse in August 2023, one thing seemed fixed – their only losses in each season came on Day 4, in an away match during the Quarter-final Stage. In 2024, they fell to Olympiacos, while last spring Barceloneta beat them. Before and after – only wins, everywhere.

Up until last Tuesday that was, as Brescia shook their confidence with an eight-goal storm in the second period. Even though the title-holders managed to climb back and take the game to a shootout, the Italians prevailed, handing Fradi their first defeat of the season already in December.

This was also a first for the greens in the Komjádi Pool since Barceloneta blew them away 17-7 in February 2022 – and the first home defeat since Sabadell beat them in May 2024, on Margaret Island.

It’s worth noting that Fradi have yet to lose a match in regular time in official competitions since that Olympiacos loss in 2024. The other two defeats came in shootouts, in Barcelona and now in Budapest.

This also marks a sharp change in trends linked to Soma Vogel’s magic. The goalkeeper had an outstanding run helping FTC and Hungary win shootouts.

His instincts and saves earned titles for his teams (2019 and 2024: Champions League, 2020: Europeans, 2023: Worlds) and other crucial victories.

However, in the last three high-pressure shootouts, he couldn’t make the decisive stops. Hungary lost the bronze medal match at the Paris Olympics, and the last two Champions League shootouts also went to their rivals.

It is a telling comparison: after posting a 12-3 win-loss ratio in shootouts between the 2017 European Super Cup final and the Olympic bronze medal match, he is now 0-3.

3. Brescia’s win in Budapest left Recco as the only unbeaten side in this year’s Champions League, and the Italian giants also clinched the top spot with a game to spare.

They have won all five matches – and stand at a perfect 10-0 in their domestic league, though they suffered one loss to FTC in the Super Cup Final in Budapest in October.

Recco are yet to face a truly tight match. Their closest contests were the two four-goal wins over Novi Beograd, home and away, while all other opponents simply couldn’t keep up.

Their last match in Herceg Novi marked the first time in the Champions League that they conceded double digits; in the previous four encounters, they had limited every rival to nine goals or fewer.

Indeed, in Montenegro this time, their grip softened in the fourth quarter. After keeping Jadran to seven goals for the first three periods and building an eight-goal lead, Recco allowed six in the final period.

4. There was an incredible similarity between the two big clashes of the Serbian and Croatian arch-rivals. Both in Belgrade and Kragujevac, the visiting Croatian sides – Jadran Split and Mladost Zagreb – built substantial leads in the first half, only for the Serbs to stage comebacks and dominate in the fourth period on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Jadran held a 4-7 advantage shortly before the middle break and kept it tied at 9-9 going into the final period. But NBG swept them aside with a 6-1 surge in the last quarter. Mladost had a superb start, 0-4 in eight minutes, and were still up by four early in the third period at 4-8. However, Radnicki tore them apart with a 6-0 run after 8-11 to finish on top.

This defeat dropped Jadran out of the contest – they won’t make the Quarter Final Stage for the first time in two years. Meanwhile, Mladost not only needs to beat Vasas (which could be straightforward) but also keep an eye on Piraeus, as an away win for Radnicki against Olympiacos might eliminate them as well.

A thrilling finish is very much on the horizon, with a three-way tie possible, where goal difference could prove crucial.

Olympiacos are less likely to stumble in this race (see the final talking point below), but winning the group remains important.

A first-place finish would mean facing only one of the other three group winners – Recco, CNAB, or probably FTC – in the next phase.

The runners-up, however, would have to take on two of that trio in the quest for the Final Four – a much steeper mountain to climb.

5. So far, four of the eight spots in the Quarter Final Stage have been claimed. Recco and CNAB have secured their places as group winners, while FTC and Brescia earned the two qualifying spots in Group C. Here, the first place will be decided on Day 6 – the title-holders need just a point in Kotor to secure the top spot.

In Group A, Olympiacos hold a three-point advantage over Mladost and Radnicki. Mladost are favourites to secure the three points when they host Vasas, the only team in the Group Stage yet to record a win. This puts Radnicki in a must-win situation in Piraeus, as they will likely need all three points.

If they succeed, a three-way tie could emerge, with head-to-head results and goal difference among the three teams determining the final rankings.

At present, Olympiacos sit at +4, Radnicki at 0, and Mladost at –4. Mladost’s –4 is final, since the result against Vasas will not be considered.

A single-goal win by Radnicki would still keep the Greeks on top, while a two-goal victory would favour the Serbs to finish first, as they have already scored 41 against the other two teams compared to Olympiacos’ 39.

Olympiacos would only be eliminated if they lost by eight or more goals – a highly unlikely scenario in their own pool. However, the mathematics only come into play if Radnicki wins in Piraeus in regular time.

Group B is simpler, as it will be a straight do-or-die duel between Jadran Herceg Novi and Novi Beograd. The winner advances, while the loser drops to the Euro Cup Eight Finals.

There is little sense in making a prediction now, as Day 6 will be held in February. Until then, plenty will happen, with players competing for their national teams at the European Water Polo Championships in Belgrade this coming January.

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Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics

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