Conference Cup Men: Panionios, Honved and De Akker book tickets to Final Four with day to spare

Panionios, Honved and De Akker all qualified for the Challenger Cup Men Final Four after dramatic wins on the second day of the Quarterfinal Group Stage. Apollon and Mataro will clash for the last F4 spot on Sunday.

2025/26 Conference Cup Men
Quarterfinals, Day 2
Saturday 21 March

Group A

CN Posillipo Napoli (ITA) 12-13 Panionios GSS (GRE)
Tenerife Echeyde (ESP) 15-16 Endo Plus Service Honved (HUN)

Standings: 1. Panionios 6pts, 1. Honved 6pts, 3. Posillipo 0pts, 3. Tenerife 0pts

Group B

VK Mornar Split (CRO) 12-14 Solartradex Mataro (ESP)
Apollon Smyrnis (GRE) 11-14 De Akker Team (ITA)

Standings: 1. De Akker 6pts, 2. Apollon 3pts, 2. Mataro 3pts, 4. Mornar 0pts

Group A

CN Posillipo Napoli (ITA) 12-13 Panionios GSS (GRE)
Tenerife Echeyde (ESP) 15-16 Endo Plus Service Honved (HUN)

Standings: 1. Panionios 6pts, 1. Honved 6pts, 3. Posillipo 0pts, 3. Tenerife 0pts

Day 1’s winners both delivered again in a pair of thrilling encounters, as hosts Panionios and Honved secured their places in the Final Four – and will now face each other for top spot on the closing day.

The lead swung back and forth in the first half between Posillipo and Panionios. After a 3-3 opening period, Alexandros Gounas converted a penalty for 3-4, but the Italians responded with a quick double in 55 seconds to move 5-4 ahead. The hosts answered in turn, as Gounas struck from a six-on-five before Andreas Bitsakos added an action goal just 25 seconds later to give Panionios a 5-6 half-time lead.

Gounas remained unstoppable, doubling the advantage just 32 seconds into the third. Even after a quick exchange of goals kept it at 6-8, Posillipo reacted swiftly. They survived two man-downs, and Giuliano Mattiello scored back-to-back goals to restore a 9-8 lead.

Gounas halted the momentum, and although Mattia Rocchino fired in from 6m, Konstantinos Mourikis converted a six-on-five with just 0:05 remaining in the period to level at 10-10.

Both teams buried early chances on extra in the fourth before Posillipo missed their opportunity. A tense three-minute spell followed, and with 3:37 to play, Konstantinos Bitsakos scored from a six-on-five to edge Panionios ahead 11-12.

Posillipo squandered another man-up before finally converting after a time-out, with Mattiello equalising at 1:43. However, the Greeks forced an extra of their own, and Grigorios Kapetanakis struck with 1:05 remaining – a decisive goal that sealed the win.

The second match produced a similarly balanced contest. Honved raced into a 0-2 lead, but Tenerife responded quickly, and the opening period ended 4-4. The Spanish side then struck twice in 44 seconds to lead 8-6, only for Nikola Moskov and Bendeguz Ekler to bring Honved level in just 38 seconds for 8-8 at half-time.

Luis Araya converted a penalty early in the third, but Honved answered with a double to take a 10-11 lead. They edged ahead three more times in this period, yet Tenerife responded on each occasion, with Araya’s fifth goal making it 13-13 with 1:23 remaining before the final break.

Moskov delivered again 44 seconds into the fourth, but Ivan Pyatkin levelled at 14-14. In the next possession, Moskov won and converted a penalty to complete his seventh goal with 6:15 on the clock.

A fierce defensive battle followed over the next three and a half minutes, before Ekler’s powerful long-range strike gave Honved a crucial two-goal cushion with 2:48 to play. A key save denied Tenerife’s next six-on-five, but Samuel Garcia pulled one back from the centre with 1:18 remaining.

With 45 seconds left, Tenerife launched a final push, creating three chances, but Marko Maser produced a series of vital saves – including two after a time-out in a seven-on-six – to secure another win for Honved and confirm their place in the Final Four.

Group B

VK Mornar Split (CRO) 12-14 Solartradex Mataro (ESP)
Apollon Smyrnis (GRE) 11-14 De Akker Team (ITA)

Standings: 1. De Akker 6pts, 2. Apollon 3pts, 2. Mataro 3pts, 4. Mornar 0pts

Mataro stormed to a 2-7 lead against Mornar in the first period, scoring four consecutive goals in the final 130 seconds. The Croats tried to regroup, but despite adding more goals, they could not close the gap, and the Spaniards maintained control at 5-10 by half-time.

Mornar returned after the break with renewed determination, staging a 3-0 run including two clinical strikes from Duje Zivkovic. However, after closing to 8-10, Oier Aguirre scored a man-up to halt the Croats’ momentum. Just 43 seconds later, Mornar’s surge was ended by another precise six-on-five finish from Ramiro Veich, making it 8-12.

Tensions boiled over in the third quarter, with a double red card following a rough clash. Both head coaches received yellow cards, while the Croats’ assistant coach was ejected. Ferdinand Buselic pulled one back from a penalty, but Aguirre’s 6m strike with four seconds remaining in the quarter secured a 9-13 lead for Mataro heading into the final period.

Zivkovic opened the fourth with a big action goal, and Duje Akrap reduced the deficit to 11-13 just 65 seconds later. Yet Mornar could not come closer. In the dying moments of a man-up, Mataro set up Marc Rodriguez to make it 11-14, and 45 seconds later Zivkovic hit his fourth from a penalty.

Neither he nor his teammates could score again in the remaining 3:11, and the second loss eliminated Mornar from contention.

Apollon got the better start in the clash of the two Day 1 winners, scoring two late goals in the first period to lead 4-2.

De Akker’s Eduardo Campopiano buried a penalty to start the scoring in the second quarter, and despite a quick Greek reply, Campopiano added two more goals in 45 seconds to level the score at 5-5.

Nikola Bogdanovic netted next, but the Italians continued to dominate, scoring two more action goals in 48 seconds and killing another man-down to lead 6-7 at half-time.

The third period proved decisive. The Greeks missed another extra, while Bragantini converted a six-on-five for De Akker. The Bologna side’s man-down defence was excellent, as they limited the hosts to a single goal in their last seven extras.

Dashiell McFarland added an action goal, and despite a time-out from Apollon, the Italians forced a penalty on their next possession, with Campopiano making no mistake to extend the lead to 6-10.

De Akker denied another man-down before US star Hannes Daube ended Apollon’s 9:04 scoreless run, and ultimately the Italians’ 0-5 surge during this phase proved the key to their victory.

Two and a half minutes into the fourth, the Greeks pulled one back, but De Akker replied immediately. This pattern repeated over the next four possessions, resulting in six goals in just 2:08 minutes, yet the gap remained 10-13 with 3:20 remaining.

The Greeks earned back-to-back man-ups in the same possession, with Michail Alevridis converting the second to make it 11-13 with 2:41 left.

They killed De Akker’s next six-on-five but could not create further danger. Niccolo di Murro’s perimeter strike with 56 seconds on the clock sealed a great win for De Akker, sending them to the finals, while Apollon will face a do-or-die clash with Mataro on Sunday.

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Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics

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