Euro Cup Men: Panathinaikos deny Vouliagmeni a place in Eight Finals with dramatic away win

Panathinaikos were the big winners on the final day of the men’s Euro Cup Group Stage after sinking their domestic rivals Vouliagmeni. The stunning away victory guaranteed their place in the Eight Finals, while BVSC’s later win against Buducnost confirmed they would be advancing alongside the Green and Whites from Group C. Elsewhere, Barcelona were upset at home by Szolnok, who returned to Hungary with a four-goal triumph and top spot in Group B.

The draw for the Euro Cup Eight Finals will take place on Monday 16 February at 10am (CET) and streamed live via the European Aquatics YouTube channel

2025/26 Euro Cup Men
Group Stage, Day 6
Thursday 12 February

(Q = Qualified for Euro Cup Eight Finals)

Group A

ASC Duisburg (GER) 13-14 CN Terrassa (ESP)
VK Solaris Sibenik (CRO) 9-16 VK Jug AO (CRO)

Standings: 1. Jug 18pts (Q), 2. Terrassa 12pts (Q), 3. Solaris 3pts, 4. Duisburg 3pts

Group B

CN Barcelona (ESP) 12-16 Szolnoki Dozsa Praktiker (HUN)
CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) 15-16 Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA)

Standings: 1. Szolnok 15pts (Q), 2. Barcelona 12pts (Q), 3. Trieste 9pts, 4. Dinamo 0pts

Group C

Vouliagmeni NC (GRE) 12-14 Panathinaikos AC (GRE)
BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) 20-9 PVK Buducnost Podgorica (MNE)

Standings: 1. BVSC 13pts, 2. Panathinaikos 12pts, 3. Vouliagmeni 11pts, 4. Buducnost 0pts

Group D

RN Savona (ITA) 13-13 (3-4P) CSA Steaua Bucharest (ROU)
Spandau 04 Berlin (GER) 18-12 VK Sabac Elixir (SRB)

Standings: 1. Savona 13pts (Q), 2. Sabac 12pts (Q), 3. Spandau 9pts, 4. Steaua 2pts

Group A

Standings: 1. Jug 18pts (Q), 2. Terrassa 12pts (Q), 3. Solaris 3pts, 4. Duisburg 3pts

ASC Duisburg (GER) 13-14 CN Terrassa (ESP)

There may have been little at stake in this clash, but the Germans were determined to put on a show and ended up giving CN Terrassa a bit of a scare.

The Spaniards looked to be cruising at 2-7 at half-time after their excellent defence shut the hosts out for the whole of the second period.

Duisburg roared back in the third, though, cutting the gap to just one (8-9) with 50 seconds remaining in the quarter, but there was still time for Ignasi Bargallo to score and end the hosts’ hopes of an equaliser.

In the fourth, Terrassa moved three ahead on four occasions (8-11, 9-12, 10-13 and 11-14) to keep the Germans at arm’s length, yet the hosts kept fighting.

Two late goals from Vukasin Simic (who ended the night with six) had the fans back on the edge of their seats, but with his last strike coming 30 seconds from the final buzzer, they were out of time.

Group A

VK Solaris Sibenik (CRO) 9-16 VK Jug AO (CRO)

VK Jug AO made it a clean sweep of Group Stage victories thanks to a powerful second-half performance against VK Solaris Sibenik.

The hosts were having plenty of joy up front before half-time against the favourites, with goalkeeper Eugen Sunara also getting in on the act in the second quarter.

After his opposite number Toni Popadic started an attack from the halfway line, a turnover foul left Popadic stranded and Sunara took full advantage, rifling into the empty net for 6-7.

Solaris were only trailing by one (8-9) early in the third, but a 0-4 rush by the visitors started to take the game away from them.

In the fourth, Jug’s defence remained on top, while their attack continued to cause Solaris problems. They went on to add four more goals, while Solaris could only manage one.

Group B

Standings: 1. Szolnok 15pts (Q), 2. Barcelona 12pts (Q), 3. Trieste 9pts, 4. Dinamo 0pts

CN Barcelona (ESP) 12-16 Szolnoki Dozsa Praktiker (HUN)

After winning in Hungary on Day 3 (10-14), CN Barcelona were the favourites to win this return clash with Szolnoki Dozsa Praktiker and seal the top spot in the group.

However, the visitors got their revenge in emphatic fashion and headed home with their own four-goal away victory.

Szolnok deserved the three points, as they were never behind in Barcelona, and after 4-5 late in the second quarter, they went on a 0-5 run that stunned the hosts and put them firmly in command.

After an almost eight-minute drought, Pol Daura and Taiyo Watanabe struck to disrupt Szolnok’s surge, but it wasn’t enough to totally derail them.

The Magyars comfortably held on, despite Barcelona getting to within two on three occasions in the fourth (9-11, 10-12 and 11-13), as their attack also kept firing.

Goalkeeper Otto Jozsa found the net as well after an unsuccessful Barcelona seven-on-six saw the ball land in his hands, and all he had to do was launch it down the other end for 11-15.

Benze Szabo top scored for Szolnok with five goals, while Lorand Zerinvary was close behind with four.

CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) 15-16 Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA)

CS Dinamo Bucuresti were denied their first Euro Cup points after losing a close battle with Pallanuoto Trieste.

Luca Marziali top-scored for the Italians with four goals, as his team were pushed right until the end by the hosts.

After taking a two-goal lead three times (2-4, 3-5 and 4-6) in the first half, Dinamo hit back to take a 13-12 advantage heading into the last eight minutes.

Midway through the fourth, it was all square at 14-14, but strikes from Marziali and Danjel Podgornik put the Italians two up again (14-16) with 1:26 left to play.

Charles Negus pulled one back, but with only 20 seconds remaining by then, Trieste swam away with the three points.

Group C

Standings: 1. BVSC 13pts, 2. Panathinaikos 12pts, 3. Vouliagmeni 11pts, 4. Buducnost 0pts

Vouliagmeni NC (GRE) 12-14 Panathinaikos AC (GRE)

Vouliagmeni NC’s dreams of reaching the Eight Finals were dashed by their domestic rivals Panathinaikos AC, who fought back twice from two goals down in the second period (5-3 and 6-4) to earn a memorable away victory.

The young hosts were never able to build a bigger gap, as Nikolaos Papanikolaou, then Dimitrios Skoumpakis, struck to level at 6-6 four minutes before half-time.

After 7-7, the visitors hit four without reply to move four clear (7-11) with 3:34 remaining in the third, and Vouliagmeni could sense the axe approaching.

Semir Spachits opened the scoring in the fourth to get within two (9-11) and restore some hope, but goals from Konstantinos Gkiouvetsis and Nikolaos Papsifakis slammed the door shut once more (9-13).

With the home crowd behind them, Vouliagmeni went for broke in the final two minutes – including trying a few seven-on-sixes – and it nearly paid off as they fired in three quick goals in a row to cut the deficit to one, but only 12 seconds remained.

They could have been one closer, but Panathinaikos’ USA goalkeeper Adrian Weinberg blocked Dimitrios Chatzis’ earlier penalty.

With 0:03 on the clock, Aristeidis Chalyvopoulos’ long 6m shot from around 19m out – into an empty net – ended any doubt and confirmed Pananthinaikos’ place in the qualification spots.

Vouliagmeni also remained in contention for a few hours, but there was to be no miracle in Budapest, as BVSC romped to victory over Buducnost to seal their fate and end their Euro Cup adventure.

Group C

BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) 20-9 PVK Buducnost Podgorica (MNE)

BVSC Manna ABC condemned PVK Buducnost Podgorica to a sixth successive defeat in the Euro Cup, with the win propelling the Hungarians to the top of the table after Vouliagmeni’s earlier defeat.

The Montenegrins battled hard, even taking an early lead (2-3) in the first quarter, and their advantage might have been bigger had David Stevovic not seen his penalty saved at 1-1.

Buducnost also managed to equalise twice in the second period (4-4 and 5-5), but after that they were unable to keep up with the rampant hosts.

An 8-0 surge took the Magyars out of sight (13-5) by the end of the third, and by the final buzzer the gap had grown to 11.

David Tatrai and Benedek Batizi led the charge for BVSC, hammering in four goals each, while goalkeeper Daniel Korom saved two penalties.

Group D

Standings: 1. Savona 13pts (Q), 2. Sabac 12pts (Q), 3. Spandau 9pts, 4. Steaua 2pts

RN Savona (ITA) 13-13 (3-4P) CSA Steaua Bucharest (ROU)

After several narrow defeats in the Group Stage, CSA Steaua Bucharest finally earned their first points by beating RN Savona on penalties, but their heroics came far too late to affect the standings.

Steaua started brightly and were 1-3 up midway through the opening quarter, but Savona replied strongly and were 4-3 ahead at the first break.

The Italians missed two penalties in the second period, with Marius Tic denying Pietro Figlioli and later David Occhione, as the Romanians fought back to edge in front twice (4-5 and 5-6), then Occhione made up for his earlier miss with an equaliser 46 seconds before half-time (6-6).

In the third, the lead changed hands a few times, but late goals from Andrei Tepelus and Tudor-Andrei Fulea restored the visitors’ two-goal advantage (8-10).

When Francesco Iudean struck first in the fourth (8-11), Savona coach Alberto Angelini was instantly shown a yellow card, and this fired his team up, as within two minutes, goals from Figlioli (two) and Andrea Condemi (one) brought the hosts level (11-11).

After both sides regained narrow leads, with 2:12 on the clock, Dorde Vucinic’s 6m shot forced a shootout, where Tic kept up his earlier success, saving Mario Guidi’s shot in the second round and Emanuele Marini’s in the third to help steer his team to the two points.

Despite the loss, Savona sealed the top spot in the group after Sabac failed to win in Berlin.

Group D

Spandau 04 Berlin (GER) 18-12 VK Sabac Elixir (SRB)

Spandau 04 Berlin ended their Euro Cup campaign with a consolation home victory against VK Sabac Elixir. Nikola Kojic was the standout performer for the hosts, leaving the pool with a five-goal haul.

The Serbians fell 2-0 behind almost immediately, and a 4-0 rush at the start of the second period put the Germans firmly in control at 7-3.

Sabac refused to lie down, though, and kept chasing. They got within two twice in the third (9-7 and 11-9), but that was as close as they could get.

In the middle of the fourth (at 13-10), a 3-0 surge from Spandau finally ended the contest, and the Berliners were able to comfortably close the game out.

The draw for the Euro Cup Eight Finals will take place on Monday 16 February at 10am (CET) and streamed live via the European Aquatics YouTube channel

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics

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