Euro Cup Women: Stage is set for decisive quarterfinal second legs

All four second legs of the women’s Euro Cup quarterfinals remain finely poised. No team managed to build a lead of more than two goals in the first legs, and Saturday’s decisive clashes promise plenty of tension and drama. After losing 9-11 at home to BVSC Manna ABC, Antenore Plebiscito Padova face the toughest task as they travel to Budapest aiming to overturn a two-goal deficit. Elsewhere, Polar Bears begin their encounter against Zodiac CNAB trailing by one, Ethnikos OFPF head to Pallanuoto Trieste also one behind on aggregate, while EPlus CN Catalunya’s meeting with ANC Glyfada iRepair is perfectly balanced after the first leg ended all square.

2025/26 Euro Cup Women
Quarterfinals, Leg 2
Saturday 28 March
(Local times shown & 1st leg scores)

16:00: EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) v ANC Glyfada iRepair (GRE) (8-8)
17:00: BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) v Antenore Plebiscito Padova (ITA) (11-9)
18:30: Polar Bears (NED) v Zodiac CNAB (ESP) (9-10)
18:30: Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) v Ethnikos OFPF (GRE) (9-8)

EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) v ANC Glyfada iRepair (GRE) (8-8)

The first leg in Greece was a tightly contested affair that proved to be a gripping defensive duel.

Neither side could pull clear, with Brooke Ochoa (four goals) and Lily Turner (three goals) leading the scoring for the hosts, while strikes from Toula Falvey (two) and Belen Vosseberg (two) helped keep the visitors close and firmly in contention ahead of this weekend’s return fixture.

At home, Catalunya will arguably start as slight favourites, and they are aiming to go one step further this year in the Euro Cup after narrowly losing to fellow Spaniards Tenerife Echeyde 20-19 on aggregate (12-12 away and 7-8 at home) at this stage of the competition last season.

Glyfada, meanwhile, are looking to book their place in the semifinals for a second successive season.

BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) v Antenore Plebiscito Padova (ITA) (11-9)

After losing the first leg 9-11 at home, Antenore Plebiscito Padova’s Alessia Millo is under no illusion about the difficult task she and her team-mates face in Budapest this weekend.

“It will be a hard match and coming back from a two-goal deficit will be tricky, but it’s not impossible,” she said.

“We have only this chance to advance to the next stage of the competition and we have been working a lot on ourselves to try to turn the season around, and Saturday’s match could be a starting point.”

BVSC coach Gergely Beres, meanwhile, is feeling confident ahead of this decisive clash. “Of course, I expect the team to go through,” he said.

“But the most important thing will be that we do not approach this game as if we have a two-goal advantage, but rather as if it is 0-0 from the start.

“We need to go into this clash not trying to hold on, but with the mindset that we need to win this match as well.”

Polar Bears (NED) v Zodiac CNAB (ESP) (9-10)

After narrowly winning the first leg at home by just a single goal, Zodiac CNAB’s players travel to Polar Bears this weekend fully aware that they still have plenty of work to do if they are to reach the semifinals in their debut European campaign.

“The tie is still very much open,” stated CNAB coach Chus Martin. “Polar Bears played very well in our pool and even went four goals ahead after three quarters [5-9], but our last quarter, with a 5-0 run in our favour, turned the game totally around.

“We know we will face a very tough match in an atmosphere that will favour Polar Bears, but I fully trust my team.

“We have had two league wins [12-11 at home against Terrassa, and 9-16 away to Real Canoe] since we last played them, so we arrive full of confidence, and our goal is to reach the Euro Cup semifinals, which would be a great success for us.”

With home advantage, Polar Bears will be aiming to replicate their performance from the first three quarters in Barcelona and this time go on to seal a memorable victory.

“We’ve had an intense period with three matches, but it has made us a lot stronger,” said Polar Bears coach Wicher Diallo. “This week the focus has fully been on Saturday.

“If we maintain our courage and fighting spirit for four full periods, we can create something very special together.”

Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) v Ethnikos OFPF (GRE) (9-8)

With a coveted place in the semifinals at stake, and just one goal separating the two sides, both sets of players will have to remain fully focused this weekend, knowing the slightest error could prove costly.

“I’m very excited and a little bit nervous for this game,” confessed Trieste’s Morgan McDowall, who was sensational in the first leg, scoring five goals. “We went over the video from the game in Greece and we are going to fix the errors we made.

“I’m looking forward to the game, but I know it is going to be a tough one. I really think we can do it together as a team, and I am excited about what Ethnikos will bring to the table.”

A draw or any regular time win for the 2024 and 2025 runners-up will be enough to send the Italians through to a third successive semifinal.

Ethnikos, meanwhile, will look to cause Trieste more problems and erase their one-goal deficit.

In the first leg, the Greeks kept pushing despite trailing by three midway through the third quarter, equalising on three occasions (6-6, 7-7 and 8-8) in the fourth before Lucrezia Cergol’s late winner.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics

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