With three rounds to go, six spots
have already been booked, only the races for the fourth places in both groups
are intense and offer great excitements. Jug Dubrovnik and Vouliagmeni are the
‘favoured’ sides to clinch the remaining two berths, still, they need to be on
top of their game to keep their current positions.
The leaders of group B, Brescia, Novi
Beograd and Ferencvaros are facing challenging away matches on Tuesday and
those fights might even shake up the current ranks which otherwise looks like
settled. Brescia are visiting Sabadell and the Spaniards posted a series of
fine wins at home and they still have a very slim hope of making the F8 in case
the other results favour them.
That includes Novi Beograd’s winning
in Dubrovnik – that’s going to be the big match of the day and not only because
a Croatian v Serbian clash is always mouthwatering. Jug are still not in safe,
need a win at home badly as they face two tough away games in the last two rounds,
in Marseille and in Brescia.
Marseille may also look for a
miracle, they have to beat Ferencvaros at first, then Jug, then OSC – and their
faith is still not in their hands. At the same time, the Hungarians are also
determined to bag three points as they may also count on some hiccups from
their big rivals. Fellow Budapest side OSC pay a visit to Berlin where Spandau
are also eager to grab the last chance as they also count on Novi Beograd’s
‘help’ as Serb win in Dubrovnik and the Germans’ triumph over OSC would cut the
gap to a single point between them and the Croats.
In Group A, it’s hard not to see
Barceloneta finishing atop – the Spaniards are facing an easy away game against
bottom-ranked Hannover, while Recco should also pass the test in Kragujevac with
flying colours. Olympiacos should be cautious while clashing Jadran in Piraeus
as the Croats are on fire, beat Jug in the first game of the domestic final
despite a terrible 0-4 start, and an unexpected win would keep them in the race
for the fourth place.
Currently, Vouliagmeni are on track
to go to Belgrade, in case of equal points – as it is now – they would finish
ahead of Jadran, but they cannot afford dropping a single point in the must-win
matches, like their upcoming encounter in Tbilisi.
Day 12, Fixtures
Group B (Tuesday)
19.00 Jug Adriatic Osiguranje
Dubrovnik (CRO) v Novi Beograd (SRB)
19.30 Astralpool Sabadell (ESP) v AN
Brescia (ITA)
19.30 Spandau 04 Berlin (GER) v
Genesys OSC Budapest (HUN)
20.00 CN Marseille (FRA) v FTC
Telekom Budapest (HUN)
Standings: 1. Brescia 28, 2. Novi
Beograd 25, 2. 3. Ferencvaros 22, 4. Jug
15, 5. Spandau 11, 6. Sabadell 10, 7. OSC 7, 8. Marseille 7
Group A (Wednesday)
19.00 (16.00 CET) Dinamo Tbilisi
(GEO) v NC Vouliagmeni (GRE)
19.00 Waspo 98 Hannover (GER) v
Zodiac CNA Barceloneta (ESP)
19.30 (18.30 CET) Olympiacos Piraeus
(GRE) v Jadran Split (CRO)
20.30 Radnicki Kragujevac (SRB) v Pro
Recco (ITA)
Standings: 1. Barceloneta 30, 2.
Recco 27, 3. Olympiacos 25, 4. Vouliagmeni 14, 5. Jadran 14, 6. Radnicki 9, 7.
Dinamo 6, 8. Hannover 3
Pre-game quotes
Group B
Jug Adriatic Osiguranje Dubrovnik
(CRO) v Novi Beograd (SRB)
Vjekoslav Kobescak, coach, Jug
“We are in the rhythm of difficult
games on Wednesdays–Saturdays, considering that we are also playing the final
series of the domestic championship. This is our last game this season in our
pool, against a great rival, and I believe we can play a good game. It will be
a tough game and I think the small details will decide the winner.”
Franko Lazic, player, Jug
“Novi Beograd are one of the best
teams in the Champions League and one of the contenders for the title. Despite
the fact that we managed to make a surprise in the first game in Belgrade and
take a point, they are the favourites in tomorrow’s game. We will give our
maximum to take all three points, which would be crucial for a place in the
final tournament.”
Zivko Gocic, coach, Novi Beograd
“We are expecting very tough game in
the Champions League against Jug. We played against them in the semi-final of
the Premier Regional League, and we lost after a penalty shoutout. For sure,
pretty much the same match is ahead of us, a very intensive and hard game to
play. We hope that the very hard work in our recent practices will give a
positive result, so we are going to Dubrovnik to try to win the game. Jug are a
great team, we have a huge respect for them, but we will try to do our best to
win.”
Nikola Jaksic, player, Novi Beograd
“We have a huge motive to win this
game because Jug beat us in a very important game a couple of weeks ago. Also,
this game in Dubrovnik means a lot for us. Jug have a great team, with quality
players, so we need to be focused during the whole game. Only if we do like
that, we can expect a good result.”
Astralpool Sabadell (ESP) v AN
Brescia (ITA)
Quim Colet, coach, Sabadell
“This Tuesday’s match is very
challenging as we face one of the best teams in Europe and with a lot of experience
in the competition. Our goal remains the same as always, to grow as a team
match by match, and above all, to be as competitive as possible.”
Edu Lorrio, goalkeeper, Sabadell
“The team is very motivated because
after twenty years we have finished the regular season of the league in the
first position, and this is very important for us. We face Tuesday’s game with
great desire to continue showing that we are very competitive at home, so we
are not giving up on anything.”
Alessandro Bovo, coach, Brescia
“It’s a difficult game. They are
first in their championship, they beat Barceloneta who are first in the other
group. They are an organised team, which play better at home with a large crowd
behind them. Their goalkeeper is doing very well, they have four quality wing
players and very effective centre-forwards. We have to play at a very high pace
without losing control – this is the only way to play this super game.”
Spandau 04 Berlin (GER) v Genesys OSC
Budapest (HUN)
Athanasios Kechagias, coach, Spandau
04
“A win against OSC Budapest is also
like our last game, this is our last chance to reach the Final 8. The
Hungarians are strong opponents, and my players have to go to the limit of
their capabilities to win this match. We are prepared and expect a tough game.”
Mateo Cuk, player, Spandau 04
“We dream of reaching the final
tournament. We will do everything to keep this dream alive. This requires an
absolutely focused game against this strong team from Budapest. The standings
in our group do not necessarily have to reflect on the actual playing strength
of the teams. Every team has a chance to lose in Berlin.”
Daniel Varga, coach, OSC
“We are going to Berlin to win! Every
CL game adds something to our team to improve, so my players will give their
best they could do. I wish we will play a good game against Spandau and prove
that OSC have more potential.”
Balazs Harai, player, OSC
“We are heading to Berlin to win. It
is going to be a difficult game, but it is crucial to perform well in order to
keep us on track for the future. We have to work as a team to achieve our
goals.”
CN Marseille (FRA) v FTC Telekom
Budapest (HUN)
Milos Scepanovic, coach, Marseille
“It is still not over to get a place
in the Final 8, even if it seems to be very difficult. But don’t think of the
math. The most important thing for me as a coach is that my team keep their
united and combative spirit for the next matches. Each match played in this
prestigious competition as the Champions League is a privilege and a challenge.
FTC Telekom Budapest are a team with great experience, it is one of the four
best teams in Europe. It won’t be an easy task, but we are here.”
Alexandre Bouet, player, Marseille
“We are all very disappointed with
the defeat in Berlin, but we have resumed to work well in order to be ready for
the start of the playoffs. I hope this series of matches will give us a lot of
confidence to do our best against Ferencvaros.”
Zsolt Varga, coach, Ferencvaros
“At the beginning of the group stage,
I was almost sure that the Marseille will be in the top four. They’ve usually
lost games by a single goal as they have play very tight games with every team.
If we take a look on the squad, Marseille has quality French players and some
experienced foreigners. They are tactically prepared. In this season they are
playing out of shape, but we had a very hard match at home with them. I expect
a hard game, and a lot depends on how enthusiastic they will be.”
Luca Damonte, player, Ferencvaros
“It will certainly be a difficult
match like all those in our group, especially playing away from home. Marseille
is a team with great players, who surprisingly scored few points in the group
but remain one of the better equipped teams. For us it’s important to keep
alive the small hope of finishing second, but above all it’s a good test as we
approach the play-offs in the Hungarian championship and a bit later the
Champions League Final8.”
Group A
Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) v NC Vouliagmeni
(GRE)
Giorgi Magrakvelidze, player, Dinamo
“We had a difficult season and tough
games against excellent opponents, but we had more time than normal to recover
and get ready for the following game against Vouliagmeni. Despite having a
strong and seasoned team, the fact that we are playing at home will give us
extra incentive to perform well.”
Zuka Rurua, assistant coach, Dinamo
“It will be a very interesting match,
the main thing will be to stop the transition of the opposing team and play
well in defence. We definitely need to correct our man-up and I am sure we will
succeed. Psychologically we should be ready for a big fight in this game, this
is the most important.”
Vladimir Vujasinovic, coach,
Vouliagmeni
“The end of the group stage of the
Champions League is approaching. Three rounds to go, we are in a good position,
and we will do our best to go to F8.A difficult game awaits us in Tbilisi, but
I believe that we are ready to play a great game and win.”
Emmanouil Andreadis, player,
Vouliagmeni
“Our next game against Dinamo is a
very important one for us. It’s a game against a very competitive team and no
one has passed through this pool easily. We are at the end of the season and
the important games are awaiting us now. We have prepared hard for this game
and I believe that we are ready both physically and mentally to respond to the
difficulties of this game.”
Waspo 98 Hannover (GER) v Zodiac CNA
Barceloneta (ESP)
Karsten Seehafer, coach, Hannover
“We have nothing to lose…”
Hrvoje Benic, player, Hannover
“A very successful period is behind
us. We won the national cup and the semi-final of the championship. We are
playing well, and finally we play as a team. That’s why we expect the match
with the leader of our group relaxed and calm, where we have nothing to lose.”
Alexander Radovic, player, Hannover
“This match against CNAB is a good
chance for our young players to develop further and show themselves in the best
way. In addition, Waspo should continue to offer good performances and keep
preparing for the home final. You don’t have to say any words for CNAB, they
are simply one of the best teams in the world.”
Elvis Fatovic, coach, Barceloneta
“In the upcoming game, we must give
our maximum effort. Hannover is on the rise and not the same team we faced in
December. I expect a good game from my team.”
Martin Famera, player, Barceloneta
“Hannover are a good team with great
players, we know that the match won’t be easy, but we are going to win there,
because we want to finish first of our group.”
Fran Fernandez, player, Barceloneta
“With only three rounds left until
the final eight, our goal is to get closer to our peak performance and secure
the first place. We are currently at the pinnacle of the season, and all the
games are crucial in measuring our level of play. We previously faced Hannover
at the beginning of the season, and it was a relatively comfortable game.
However, we are fully aware that playing them in their own pool will be a
different challenge and therefore we take this match very seriously. In the
Champions League, no two matches are alike, and there is no room for
relaxation.”
Olympiacos Piraeus (GRE) v Jadran
Split (CRO)
Igor Milanovic, coach, Olympiacos
“My team have been preparing well, we
played well in the previous game against Panionios. We had rhythm, we had
creativity, we turned the ball quickly, correctly. We saw the game as a
preparation for the one against Jadran. We play in Piraeus, we want to win. We
want to get better, more confident, stronger in every game. I hope we will
win.”
Marko Bijac, goalkeeper, Olympiacos
“It will be a very interesting game,
a quality game. Jadran proved last Saturday that they are in very good form,
they beat Jug in the first final in Croatia. For sure, they are in good shape,
they will be a tough opponent, but we have to look at our own game. We want the
three points in front of our fans, we are playing at home, and we have to win.”
Radnicki Kragujevac (SRB) v Pro Recco
(ITA)
Uros Stevanovic, coach, Radnicki
“We will host the European champion
and try to put up a dignified resistance.”
Luka Pljevancic, player, Radnicki
“Pro Recco is one of the best teams
in Europe and the greatest charm of the Champions League is competing with the
best teams, especially for us, younger players. We want to prove ourselves
against the best rivals.”
Gonzalo Echenique, player, Pro Recco
“The match against Radnicki will be
very demanding, for them it’s the last chance to try to get into the Final
Eight and at home they have shown that they are very fearsome, stopping a great
team like Olympiacos to play a draw. We will go to Serbia to try to put in an
important performance and take all three points which necessary in the race to
finish in the second place at least.”
Facts and figures
Group B
Jug Adriatic Osiguranje Dubrovnik
(CRO) v Novi Beograd (SRB)
Last five matches:
Jug: WLWLD – NBG: WWWWL
Last round:
Jug: 12-12 v FTC (home) – NBG: 9-12 v
Brescia (away)
Recent encounters:
Day 3: 12-12
Astralpool Sabadell (ESP) v AN Brescia
(ITA)
Last five matches:
Sabadell: LLLWW – Brescia: WWWDW
Last round:
Sabadell: 9-8 v OSC (h) – Brescia:
12-9 v NBG (h)
Recent encounters:
Day 3: 4-7
Spandau 04 Berlin (GER) v Genesys OSC
Budapest (HUN)
Last five matches:
Spandau: LWLLW – OSC: LLLDL
Last round:
Spandau: 11-9 v Marseille (h) – OSC:
8-9 v Sabadell (a)
Recent encounters:
Day 3: 9-9 – 2021-22: 10-0
(walkover), 11-12. 2016-17: 5-5, 6-10
CN Marseille (FRA) v FTC Telekom
Budapest (HUN)
Last five matches:
Marseille: LLWLL – FTC: WWLWD
Last round:
Marseille: 9-11 v Spandau (a) – FTC:
12-12 v Jug (a)
Recent encounters:
Day 3: 8-9 – 2020-21: 6-14 (QF).
2019-20: 7-13. 2019 Super Cup final: 9-14
Group A
Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) v NC Vouliagmeni
(GRE)
Last five matches:
Dinamo: LLWWL v Vouliagmeni: WWLDL
Last round:
Dinamo: 7-12 v Jadran (h) –
Vouliagmeni: 7-13 v Recco (h)
Recent encounters:
Day 3: 7-12
Waspo 98 Hannover (GER) v Zodiac CNA
Barceloneta (ESP)
Last five matches:
Hannover: LLLLL – Barceloneta: WWWWW
Last round:
Hannover: 8-15 v Olympiacos (a) –
Barceloneta: 14-10 v Radnicki (a)
Recent encounters:
Day 3: 5-20 – 2021-22: 10-12 (for
places 5-6th). 2020-21: 8-16, 8-12. 2017-18: 7-13, 12-13
Olympiacos Piraeus (GRE) v Jadran
Split (CRO)
Last five matches:
Olympiacos: WDWLW – Jadran: LLWDW
Last round:
Olympiacos: 15-8 v Hannover (h) –
Jadran: 12-7 v Dinamo (a)
Recent encounters:
Day 3: 13-8 – 2021-22: 12-10, 16-12
Radnicki Kragujevac (SRB) v Pro Recco
(ITA)
Last five matches:
Radnicki: LDLLL – Recco: WWLWW
Last round:
Radnicki: 10-14 v Barceloneta (h) –
Recco: 13-7 v Vouliagmeni (a)
Recent encounters:
Day 3: 12-21 – 2014-15: 5-12, 6-1
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