Euro Cup Men: Greek rivals Panathinaikos and Vouliagmeni to battle for Eight Finals ticket

All eyes will be on Group C on the final day of the men’s Euro Cup Group Stage on Thursday. With BVSC Manna ABC likely to secure a home victory against PVK Buducnost Podgorica in Budapest, the other clash in this pool, Vouliagmeni NC versus Panathinaikos AC, is a do-or-die affair, as a victory in regular time for either side will see the winners advance to the Eight Finals, whereas a point for the hosts (Vouliagmeni) would be enough for them to progress. Another final-day highlight is CN Barcelona’s game with Szolnoki Dozsa Praktiker, which is a straight battle to see who will top Group B ahead of Monday’s Euro Cup Eight Finals draw (live streaming details for the draw and games can be found at the end of this article).

2025/26 Euro Cup Men
Group Stage, Day 6
Thursday 12 February
(Local times shown)
(Q = Qualified for Euro Cup Eight Finals)

Group A

19:30: ASC Duisburg (GER) v CN Terrassa (ESP)
20:00: VK Solaris Sibenik (CRO) v VK Jug AO (CRO)

Standings: 1. Jug 15pts (Q), 2. Terrassa 9pts (Q), 3. Solaris 3pts, 3. Duisburg 3pts

Group B

20:00: CN Barcelona (ESP) v Szolnoki Dozsa Praktiker (HUN)
20:30: CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) v Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA)

Standings: 1. Barcelona 12pts (Q), 1. Szolnok 12pts (Q), 3. Trieste 6pts, 4. Dinamo 0pts

Group C

15:00: Vouliagmeni NC (GRE) v Panathinaikos AC (GRE)
18:30: BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) v PVK Buducnost Podgorica (MNE)

Standings: 1. Vouliagmeni 11pts, 2. BVSC 10pts, 3. Panathinaikos 9pts, 4. Buducnost 0pts

Group D

19:00: RN Savona (ITA) v CSA Steaua Bucharest (ROU)
19:00: Spandau 04 Berlin (GER) v VK Sabac Elixir (SRB)

Standings: 1. Savona 12pts (Q), 1. Sabac 12pts (Q), 3. Spandau 6pts, 4. Steaua 0pts

Group A
(Local times shown)

Standings: 1. Jug 15pts (Q), 2. Terrassa 9pts (Q), 3. Solaris 3pts, 3. Duisburg 3pts

19:30: ASC Duisburg (GER) v CN Terrassa (ESP)

CN Terrassa’s spot in the Eight Finals is already secure, as neither Solaris nor Duisburg can catch them on the final day.

Despite there being little jeopardy, the Spaniards have still been training and preparing hard for Thursday’s clash in Germany.

“We have trained a lot since Christmas,” revealed Terrassa’s Oscar Blasco. “We have been preparing our best during these past few weeks.

“We think it will be a very tough match in Germany, but we hope we can win and prepare our minds for the next round.”

Terrassa can expect a fierce battle in Duisburg, as the Germans pushed them all the way during an entertaining, end-to-end, encounter on Day 3 that saw Terrassa prevail 14-13, with their winning goal coming from Albert Sabadell with just over two minutes left to play.

“First of all, we are very happy to resume our Euro Cup campaign,” added Terrassa coach Sergi Mora. “For us, these kinds of games are very important to build the team and for the players to get more experience.

“So, we are ready. We have been training a lot in January and we are ready to play that last game against Duisburg, who are a very good team.

“We will try to be focused for the game until the very end and try to win and get ready for the Eight Finals.”

Duisburg, meanwhile, are looking to cause Terrassa plenty of problems in front of their own fans.

“We’re very motivated to play this last game at home,” said Duisburg’s Elias Metten. “We’ve already shown in past games that we can perform well against the more favoured teams. This game will be a great chance to improve individually and as a team.”

“We were unlucky to lose by a single goal in Terrassa,” added Duisburg coach Vuk Vuksanovic. “We can hold our heads high, though, because we know our strengths. It’s time to wrap up the main round with a win and prove what Duisburg water polo is all about!”

20:00: VK Solaris Sibenik (CRO) v VK Jug AO (CRO)

A Croatian derby is always a highlight, despite there being little at stake in this clash between the two familiar rivals.

VK Solaris Sibenik coach Bruno Sabioni is also relishing the opportunity to face VK Jug AO once more and to have a chance to see what his young players have to offer.

“We will approach the game with full focus and a clear purpose,” said Sabioni. “This game presents a good opportunity to work on specific tactical elements and to further integrate our younger players into the first team.

“We intend to give valuable playing time to our younger athletes, allowing them to gain experience in a high-level European competition, which represents an important step in their development within senior water polo.

“Regardless of the result, the team will maintain a professional approach and we aim to conclude our Euro Cup campaign with a committed and disciplined performance.”

VK Jug are the runaway leaders in the group and cannot be caught, whatever the results on Thursday, as they continue their pursuit of the trophy they last lifted two seasons ago in 2024.

Jug have won all of their group stage games so far, including a narrow 12-10 win against Solaris in Dubrovnik on Day 3.

In that game, Jug survived a tense final quarter that saw Solaris fight back to 11-10 with just three minutes remaining.

“This is our last Euro Cup game, so we want to play as hard as we can against one of the toughest teams in the competition,” added Solaris captain Andrija Vlahovic. “We will do our best and try to eliminate their strengths and play a tight game as much as possible in front of our fans.”

Group B
(Local times shown)

Standings: 1. Barcelona 12pts (Q), 1. Szolnok 12pts (Q), 3. Trieste 6pts, 4. Dinamo 0pts

20:00: CN Barcelona (ESP) v Szolnoki Dozsa Praktiker (HUN)

With both teams locked on 12 points, any sort of victory – in regular time or from a shootout – would be enough to win the group.

On Day 3, Barcelona secured a 10-14 away victory in Szolnok, with Pol Daura and Abel Ramon leading the scoring for the Spaniards with four and three goals respectively.

“We are expecting a highly physical contest with Szolnok, so we will need to produce a smart and disciplined performance,” said Barcelona coach Andrei Iosep. “We need to make full use of our physical presence and speed.

“Securing a victory on Thursday would provide us with an important boost of confidence and momentum ahead of our demanding schedule through to the end of March.”

Both teams have won their last two games in the Euro Cup and will arrive at this decider full of belief, although the hosts will start as favourites.

Barcelona have won both of their home games by seven or more goals so far in the group stage, against Dinamo 22-11 and Trieste 19-12.

“We are preparing hard for this match and focusing on improving our game,” said Szolnok captain Gergo Kovacs. “After our home defeat to Barcelona, we are motivated to take revenge and show our true strength.

“We want to secure the top spot, which would allow us to go into the next round from a much better position.”

“In order to win, we have to fix the mistakes we made in Szolnok and stay disciplined and fully focused, taking it one quarter at a time,” added Szolnok coach Zoltan Hangay. “We know we’re playing in a tough pool, but we’re ready for the challenge.”

20:30: CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU) v Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA)

With the door closed for CS Dinamo Bucuresti and Pallanuoto Trieste, each side will fight just for pride when they clash in the Romanian capital on Thursday night.

On Day 3, these two sides contested one of the games of the competition so far, as the Italians edged a 33-goal thriller, 17-16, after the scores were level at 13-13 early in the fourth quarter.

Despite the low stakes, Trieste coach Maurizio Mirarchi has called on his players to end the group stage on a high.

“Even though the result has no bearing on qualification, we will give our maximum effort on Thursday night in Bucharest,” he told European Aquatics. “We want to finish our campaign well and in a positive manner.”

Group C
(Local times shown)

Standings: 1. Vouliagmeni 11pts, 2. BVSC 10pts, 3. Panathinaikos 9pts, 4. Buducnost 0pts

15:00: Vouliagmeni NC (GRE) v Panathinaikos AC (GRE)

The major highlight of Day 6 is the clash between the two domestic Greek rivals, Vouliagmeni NC and Panathinaikos AC.

“This match is a final for both teams, since it offers qualification to the next phase for the winners,” said Panathinaikos coach Dimitris Mazis. “We must be prepared and focused to qualify.”

“We’re expecting a very different game to the cup game last week,” said Panathinaikos’ Aristeidis Chalyvopoulos, referring to their 15-9 home win against Vouliagmeni, which sent them through to the Final Four of the domestic cup.

“We are mentally and physically ready to get the victory away at Vouliagmeni and continue our journey in Europe.” 

On Day 3, Vouliagmeni edged a classic encounter away at Panathinaikos 16-17, after a shootout was needed to separate the two teams following a 10-10 draw.

The penalty triumph means Panathinaikos have to win in regular time on Thursday in order to overtake Vouliagmeni and eliminate them from the race for the Eight Finals (as long as BVSC get their expected victory against Buducnost Podgorica).

“We have determination and confidence in our team,” said Vouliagmeni’s Andreas Almyras. “We will try to show what we are made of.

“We are training hard and I am really looking forward to getting back in the water, ready to fight for the win and to showcase the daily effort and hard work we put in.”

“It is such an important match for us,” added Vouliagmeni’s Nikos Giannatos. “We know there is no second chance and that whoever wins advances.

“We have worked very well throughout this period, and we are fully focused on our goal. Panathinaikos are a very strong team with quality and experience.

“We are expecting a tough and demanding match that will be decided by the smallest details.

“Playing at home is very important for us. Our goal is to go as far as possible in the Euro Cup. We are taking it step by step, but we strongly believe in our team’s abilities, and we want to continue our European journey.”

18:30: BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) v PVK Buducnost Podgorica (MNE)

BVSC Manna ABC need a win on Thursday – of any sorts – to guarantee themselves a spot in the Eight Finals, and they will fancy their chances of achieving that against bottom-placed PVK Buducnost Podgorica, who are yet to earn a single point in Group C.

The young Montenegrins have endured a difficult campaign so far, losing each of their five previous Euro Cup games by five goals or more, including an 8-18 loss at home to BVSC on Day 3.

Meanwhile, the Hungarians have some unfinished business in this competition after narrowly losing in the Eight Finals last season 33-32 (16-16, 17-16) on aggregate to Primorac Kotor, which denied them a coveted place in the top eight.

BVSC’s form in Budapest also favours the hosts, as they have won each of their home fixtures so far, against Panathinaikos (13-10) and Vouliagmeni (23-22 after penalties), and triumphed in all of their Euro Cup Group Stage home games over the past three seasons (2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26).

Group D
(Local times shown)

Standings: 1. Savona 12pts (Q), 1. Sabac 12pts (Q), 3. Spandau 6pts, 4. Steaua 0pts

19:00: RN Savona (ITA) v CSA Steaua Bucharest (ROU)

RN Savona have a better head-to-head record against VK Sabac Elixir, so will finish as group winners as long as they match the result of the Serbians in Thursday night’s other fixture.

CSA Steaua Bucharest sit at the bottom of the table on zero points, but they have come close in all five of their previous games, losing by three or fewer goals on each occasion.

Two of their narrow defeats have been by just one goal, including their clash against Savona in Bucharest on Day 3.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the scores were level at 10-10 before Oliver Leinweber struck his fourth goal of the night, with 2:43 on the clock, to seal a slender away victory for the Italians.

Steaua also had two late six-on-five opportunities to force a shootout but couldn’t make either count.

Whatever the result on Thursday, three-time Euro Cup winners Savona will advance to the Eight Finals, where their quest to reach another Euro Cup final will continue. Their last appearance came in 2023, when they lost to Vasas over two legs.

19:00: Spandau 04 Berlin (GER) v VK Sabac Elixir (SRB)

VK Sabac Elixir will go all-out for a victory in the German capital, hoping Savona slip up at home against Steaua.

The Serbians dominated the reverse fixture against Spandau on Day 3, winning 11-8, with the victory much more comfortable than the result suggests.

Sabac were leading 10-4 midway through the final period before a late German surge made the scoreline appear more respectable.

Spandau’s Euro Cup journey may be about to end, but they’ll still want to put on a big show for their fans and finish their campaign with three points, so Sabac can expect a huge fight in Berlin.

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

Watch all the Euro Cup action live on European Aquatics TV

For full Euro Cup Men fixtures, results, stats and tables, click here or download the European Aqautics app

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics

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