Euro Cup Women: CNAB, Trieste and BVSC earn narrow first-leg victories as quarterfinals get underway

All four quarterfinal ties in the women’s Euro Cup remain finely poised, as no teams were able to establish a decisive first-leg scoreline. The largest winning margin came in Italy, where BVSC Manna ABC secured a two-goal victory against Antenore Plebiscito Padova and will now look to finish the job in Budapest. Elsewhere, runners-up from the past two seasons Pallanuoto Trieste also hold a narrow lead, taking a one-goal advantage back to Italy ahead of their second leg with Ethnikos OFPF. European newcomers Zodiac CNAB produced the most dramatic performance of the day, overturning a deficit against Polar Bears with a spectacular 5-0 fourth quarter to claim a one-goal triumph. Meanwhile, the tie between ANC Glyfada iRepair and EPlus CN Catalunya remains level at 8-8, setting up a thrilling return fixture in Spain in two weeks’ time.

2025/26 Euro Cup Women
Quarterfinals, Leg 1
Saturday 14 March

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

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

A fierce defensive battle unfolded in the first half of this clash, with both teams enjoying spells in front, but neither able to move more than one goal clear.

Goals from Brooke Ochoa and Lily Turner edged the hosts ahead by the first break (2-1), but Catalunya responded in the second period. Turner’s GB team-mate Toula Falvey equalised for the Spaniards before German ace Belen Vosseberg nudged the visitors into a 2-3 lead.

Ochoa struck again to level the score (3-3) by half-time, and early in the third period Thomais Moustakaria found the net, before Ochoa added another as Glyfada opened up the first two-goal lead of the game (5-3).

Vosseberg quickly pulled one back, and although Turner converted another six-on-five shortly afterwards, Catalunya were beginning to build momentum and a 0-3 rush saw the visitors wrestle the lead back (6-7).

Ochoa halted the charge by making no mistake from a penalty 1:23 before the penultimate break, drawing the sides level once again heading into the fourth quarter (7-7).

Eighty-one seconds into the final period, Turner completed her hat-trick by beating Laura Aarts with a penalty that restored the hosts’ lead.

It set up a thrilling end-to-end finish, and Falvey later equalised from a six-on-five, capitalising on a rebound to shovel the ball over the line from close range with 2:35 remaining.

Both teams had chances in the closing seconds to snatch the win, but neither could find the target, leaving the tie finely poised ahead of the second leg in Spain.

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

BVSC head coach Gergely Beres had described his side’s draw as one of the toughest of the quarterfinals, yet the opening minutes in Padova told a very different story as the Hungarian team stormed into a remarkable five-goal lead.

It was a dream start for the visitors. Zoe Lendvay struck twice, while Anna Mucsy, Pien Gorter and Dorina Dobi also found the net to stun the home crowd and put BVSC firmly in control.

Padova coach Stefano Posterivo called an early time-out with his side trailing 0-4, as he searched for a way to halt the momentum. The breakthrough didn’t come immediately, however, as Dobi soon made it five before Malika Bovo finally opened Padova’s account shortly before the first break.

The Italians tightened their defence in the second quarter, but continued to struggle offensively. Padova managed just one more goal, while BVSC added two to extend their advantage to 2-7 at half-time.

The Hungarians continued to dictate the play after the break, with Fruzsina Toth scoring early in the third to stretch their lead to six.

Padova began to respond through Amelie Perkins, who converted a six-on-five, and Bovo added two more to reduce the gap to three at 5-8.

Lendvay quickly stopped the hosts’ momentum with another goal, and Dobi’s strike put the visitors five clear at 5-10.

Alessia Millo then struck just before the penultimate break to keep Padova within reach at 6-10.

In the closing quarter, BVSC began to fade a little, as they looked to protect their lead, while Padova pushed forward with renewed energy.

The Italians outscored their opponents 3-1 in the closing stages, cutting the deficit to just two goals (9-11) and keeping the tie very much alive ahead of the return leg in Budapest.

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

Zodiac CNAB’s perfect Euro Cup home record was seriously tested by Polar Bears, as at the start of the fourth quarter the Dutch side were leading by four and looked well on course to take a first-leg advantage back to the Netherlands.

The hosts’ defence stepped up in the last eight minutes, though, totally silencing the Dutch attack, while their forwards smashed in five goals to turn the game completely around in dramatic fashion.

It was a stunning climax that had the home fans on their feet throughout, but it was a bitter blow for Polar Bears, who saw their four-goal cushion slowly disappear in the closing stages.

Marjolein De Gier and Jill Oort got the visitors off to the perfect start in the first quarter, but CNAB soon struck back, with Alejandra Aznar converting their second six-on-five, before Liv del Sol levelled 38 seconds before the opening break.

In the second period, the hosts took the lead twice (3-2 and 4-3), but after a pinpoint long pass found Karen Haksteen in the centre, she turned and finished spectacularly to equalise.

Haksteen’s sublime finish sparked a 0-4 rush that swung the game back in Polar Bears’ favour, and although CNAB’s Cristina Nogue disrupted their momentum with a fine shot that flew into the top right corner, De Gier and Kiara Heerink struck at the end of the third to extend the lead to four (5-9).

What happened next was nothing short of remarkable and kind of summed up CNAB’s debut European season, as they forced a penalty 65 seconds into the fourth, which was expertly dispatched by Clara Diaz.

A minute later, the hosts reduced the gap further (7-9), as Nogue found space on the left wing during a six-on-five to rifle in an easy finish.

Polar Bears coach Mamadou Diallo sensed the danger and called a time-out, but his words were unable to stem the tide, as his team missed their next three extras, conceded another penalty, and a fine perimeter strike from Maiah Nascimento levelled the score (9-9) with 2:19 left to play.

The Dutch side missed another six-on-five, then Elena Flynn unleashed a rocket from distance that flashed past Laura Steenbeek to put CNAB ahead (10-9) with 1:12 on the clock.

It proved to be the winner as the Spanish defence continued to hold firm and ensured they travel to Ede for the second leg with a narrow advantage.

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

Pallanuoto Trieste took a step closer to a third successive Euro Cup final with a narrow one-goal victory away at Ethnikos OFPF.

It was the first time the Greeks have tasted defeat in this season’s competition after winning all four of their Group Stage games.

The first half was a tight defensive contest with just six goals scored (edged by Trieste 2-4), as both sides missed several six-on-fives and weren’t able to produce any kind of attacking rhythm.

After leading from the sixth minute, Trieste looked the better team and in the third quarter they moved three clear on two occasions (2-5 and 3-6), but the hosts dug deep and didn’t allow them to pull away any further.

Stamatina Kontogianni and Anna Mamoglou scored the last two goals of the third to cut the gap to just one (5-6), and early in the fourth they were level at 7-7, then Mamoglou struck again with 4:15 on the clock to put the hosts ahead for the first time.

Their lead didn’t last long, though, as Trieste’s Georgia Klatowski equalised 16 seconds later, and captain Lucrezia Cergol kept her composure two minutes later to convert a penalty, which proved to be the winner.

Ethnikos squandered a late six-on-five as they desperately searched for an equaliser, but they weren’t able to find one and will head to Italy needing at least a victory if they are to keep their hopes of progressing alive.

Morgan McDowall was the standout performer for the Italians, hitting five goals, while Mamoglou led the resistance for the Greeks with four.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics

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