Euro Cup Women: Padova among the big winners on Day 3 of Group Stage
Antenore Plebiscito Padova, BVSC Manna ABC, EPlus CN Catalunya and Polar Bears all edged closer to the Quarter Finals of the Euro Cup after each side recorded fine wins on Day 3 of the Group Stage.
2025/26 Euro Cup Women
Group Stage, Day 3
Saturday 13 December
(all rankings after two games each)
Group A
Lille UC (FRA) 12-24 Polar Bears (NED)
Standings: 1. Ethnikos 6pts, 2. Polar Bears 3pts, 3. Lille UC 0pts
Group B
BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) 13-11 ANC Glyfada iRepair (GRE)
Standings: 1. BVSC 6pts, 2. Glyfada 3pts, 3. Hapoel Yoqneam 0pts
Group C
Antenore Plebiscito Padova (ITA) 20-7 Grand Nancy AC (FRA)
Standings: 1. Padova 6pts, 2. Zodiac CNAB 3pts, 3. Grand Nancy 0pts
Group D
EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) 21-12 III. Keruleti TVE (HUN)
Standings: 1. Trieste 6pts, 2. Catalunya 3pts, 3. Kerulet 0pts
Group A
Lille UC (FRA) 12-24 Polar Bears (NED)
Standings: 1. Ethnikos 6pts, 2. Polar Bears 3pts, 3. Lille UC 0pts
Lille UC and Polar Bears played out a close and entertaining first quarter (6-6), with the hosts taking the lead on four occasions before the Dutch side edged in front and then firmly out of sight.
Lara Andres levelled for Lille at 7-7 a minute into the second period, but they were unable to keep up as the visitors began to pull away, embarking on a crushing 0-9 surge that all but ended the contest.
Another Andres goal – her fourth of the night – momentarily disrupted the Polar Bears’ dominance midway through the third (8-16), but the Dutch strikes kept coming.
After winning the middle quarters 1-6 and 2-8, there was no doubt the three crucial points were heading back to the Netherlands.
Marjolein De Gier was the standout performer for Polar Bears, top-scoring with five goals, while Kiara Heerink hit four, and Tatum Van der Elst, Frauke Ingels and Amy Kleinlugtebeld all fired in three each.
The comprehensive away victory puts the Dutch side in a strong position ahead of their two remaining home games, while Lille’s hopes of qualification hang by a thread as they finish with two tough fixtures on the road.
Group B
BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) 13-11 ANC Glyfada iRepair (GRE)
Standings: 1. BVSC 6pts, 2. Glyfada 3pts, 3. Hapoel Yoqneam 0pts
The clash of the day was undoubtedly in Budapest, where fans were treated to a spectacular late battle between BVSC Manna ABC and ANC Glyfada iRepair.
Top place in the group was at stake, and both teams knew whoever emerged victorious would significantly boost their chances of reaching the last eight.
The hosts looked in control early on, winning the first quarter 4-1 and leading 6-3 at half-time, but they could never quite shake off Glyfada, who came roaring back in the third.
Great Britain star Lily Turner led the Greek charge with four goals, and it was her penalty with just a second remaining in the period that cut the deficit to one (9-8), setting up a nervy final eight minutes for the Hungarians.
Anna Mandula Mucsy opened the scoring in the fourth to give BVSC some breathing space, but Anastasia Loudi converted a six-on-five from the near post to make it 10-9 with 6:25 left on the clock.
BVSC’s Pien Gorter was then left alone on the perimeter, and after several dummies she powered her shot into the bottom right corner for 11-9.
The tension soon returned, however, as Eleni Grigoropoulou muscled past her marker to make it 11-10 from close range.
BVSC didn’t panic, calmly scoring the next two goals – both from six-on-fives, with the second coming after a time-out – to edge closer to the three points.
Glyfada’s Rafaela Saltamanika struck from a six-on-five with 2:26 remaining for 13-11, but the Greeks weren’t able to get any closer.
Group C
Antenore Plebiscito Padova (ITA) 20-7 Grand Nancy AC (FRA)
Standings: 1. Padova 6pts, 2. Zodiac CNAB 3pts, 3. Grand Nancy 0pts
Antenore Plebiscito Padova blew Grand Nancy AC away with a dominant 20-7 win that all but secured their place in the last eight.
Great Britain forward Amelie Perkins tormented the French defence throughout, hammering in four goals, while Emma Bacelle was equally ruthless, also finishing with four.
The outcome was effectively decided in the opening eight minutes, as the Italians surged into a 7-3 lead, with Perkins scoring Padova’s first three.
Grand Nancy stemmed the tide in the second quarter – even edging it 1-2 – but with only two substitutes on their bench, they were unable to live with Padova’s intensity after the long break.
The visitors continued to battle valiantly, but after making it 9-6 early in the third, Padova dealt the decisive blow, firing in six without reply to take complete control.
Kahena Benlekbir briefly halted Padova’s momentum in the fourth to make it 15-7, yet the one-way traffic quickly resumed, as the Italians closed out the contest with a 5-0 run to reinforce their superiority.
Group D
EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) 21-12 III. Keruleti TVE (HUN)
Standings: 1. Trieste 6pts, 2. Catalunya 3pts, 3. Kerulet 0pts
EPlus CN Catalunya produced a powerful performance to beat III. Keruleti TVE by nine goals, a result that pushes the Hungarians to the brink of elimination.
With neither side off the mark prior to this clash, both teams knew what was at stake, and the commanding win puts the Spaniards in the driving seat for one of the two qualifying spots from Group D.
Julia Frigola led the way for Catalunya, top-scoring with six goals, and she was ably supported by the likes of German ace Belen Vosseberg and Lucia Gomez de la Puente, who each fired in four.
Kerulet were behind inside 25 seconds, as Frigola put her team on the right track by converting a penalty, and although Lilla Raski equalised a minute later, that proved to be the only time the visitors managed to draw level.
Ruth Arino finished off a swift counter-attack midway through the first quarter to put the hosts back in front, and they gradually continued to build a substantial lead from there.
Two 4-0 rushes, once in the third quarter and then again in the fourth, wrapped up the points, as the Spaniards won each period (6-2, 4-3, 6-3, 5-4), despite the best efforts of Eniko Rajna, who led Kerulet’s resistance almost single-handedly with five goals.
With two home games to come for Kerulet, they still have a chance of making the last eight, while Catalunya face two away ties, with three points from either likely to be enough to see them through.
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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics
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