Champions League Women: Olympiacos and UVSE complete quarterfinal line-up as Group Stage concludes
Olympiacos and UVSE booked the final two quarterfinal berths in Group A as expected, while FTC secured top spot in Group C on the last day of the Champions League Women group stage. SIS Roma’s late surge caused some concern for title-holders St Andreu, but they managed to maintain their perfect record, just like fellow Spanish side Mataro, as both teams finished atop their respective groups.
2025/26 Champions League Women
Group Stage, Day 6
Saturday 21 March
Group A
DFVE Vizilabda (HUN) 3-19 Olympiacos Piraeus (GRE)
UVSE-Helia D (HUN) 12-11 Alimos NAC Betsson (GRE)
Standings: 1. Olympiacos 15pts, 2. UVSE 12pts, 3. DFVE 9pts, 4. Alimos 0pts
Group B
Assolim CN Mataro (ESP) 14-9 Astralpool CN Sabadell (ESP)
CN Terrassa (ESP) 10-15 Ekipe Orizzonte (ITA)
Standings: 1. Mataro 18pts, 2. Sabadell 8pts, 3. Orizzonte 7pts, 4. Terrassa 3pts
Group C
FTC-Telekom Waterpolo (HUN) 22-12 Spandau 04 Berlin (GER)
Vouliagmeni NC (GRE) 19-13 Rapallo Pallanuoto (ITA)
Standings: 1. FTC 16pts, 2. Vouliagmeni 14pts, 3. Rapallo 6pts, 4. Spandau 0pts
Group D
SIS Roma (ITA) 15-16 CN Sant Andreu (ESP)
ZV De Zaan (NED) 12-11 ONE Eger (HUN)
Standings: 1. St Andreu 18pts, 2. Roma 9pts, 3. De Zaan 6pts, 4. Eger 3pts
Group A
DFVE Vizilabda (HUN) 3-19 Olympiacos Piraeus (GRE)
UVSE-Helia D (HUN) 12-11 Alimos NAC Betsson (GRE)
Standings: 1. Olympiacos 15pts, 2. UVSE 12pts, 3. DFVE 9pts, 4. Alimos 0pts
Dunaujvaros had only a slim chance of progressing – a win over top favourites Olympiacos, combined with an unlikely defeat for UVSE in the other match, would have sent them through. Within eight minutes, however, it was effectively over, as Olympiacos blew them away with a devastating 0-5 start.
The Hungarians never truly arrived in their own pool, at least not at a level required for a Champions League encounter. Their first goal came with 1:12 remaining in the first half at 0-8, but they were unable to match the Greeks’ speed, composure and precision.
Foteini Tricha and Vasiliki Plevritou led the charge from Piraeus, which ended in a rout. The 3-19 defeat marks the heaviest loss in Dunaujvaros’ European history, which spans 25 years – and arguably one of the worst ever suffered by a Hungarian side in the Champions League.
This result left nothing at stake in the other Hungarian-Greek clash, as the head-to-head favoured UVSE over Dunaujvaros in the case of equal points. That meant the Budapest side could afford even a loss against Alimos and still progress.
For a time, the Greeks showed greater focus and built a 3-5 lead with 2:30 remaining before half-time. However, UVSE caught a wave, scoring three action goals in just 63 seconds and successfully killing a late six-on-four to take a 6-5 lead into the long break.
Kata Hajdu maintained the momentum after the restart, converting back-to-back extras within 41 seconds as the Hungarians moved onto a 5-0 run. Marit van der Weijden pulled one back, but the home side responded with another quick double – this time in 40 seconds – to extend the lead to 10-6.
The Greeks refused to back down and produced another twist with a 0-3 run. They even had a chance from an extra player situation to level, but missed, leaving UVSE 10-9 ahead before the final period.
Hajdu struck her sixth from an extra just 23 seconds into the fourth, but Van der Weijden converted a penalty for her fifth goal to keep the contest alive.
The next five minutes saw intense battling, with man-up opportunities denied at both ends. UVSE then delivered the decisive blow, as Panna Tiba’s action goal secured the win, with Alimos’ final goal coming too late – with just 0:06 remaining.
Group B
Assolim CN Mataro (ESP) 14-9 Astralpool CN Sabadell (ESP)
CN Terrassa (ESP) 10-15 Ekipe Orizzonte (ITA)
Standings: 1. Mataro 18pts, 2. Sabadell 8pts, 3. Orizzonte 7pts, 4. Terrassa 3pts
Just a few days after beating Sabadell 14-10 in the Spanish league, Mataro upended their arch-rivals once more, this time claiming a 14-9 victory to complete their group stage campaign with a perfect record.
In contrast, Sabadell, despite advancing, had to settle for their worst group stage performance in recent years, managing just two wins in regular time.
Mataro took a 4-2 lead after eight minutes and doubled that advantage by half-time, moving 8-4 ahead with a quick double in 52 seconds shortly before the buzzer.
Midway through the third, they were 10-4 up when Sabadell finally broke a six-minute drought. A strong spell followed, with three unanswered goals in two minutes, but Jewell Roemer restored the four-goal cushion with a powerful 6m strike 34 seconds from the end of the period at 11-7.
With the result having no impact on the final standings, the fourth period lacked its usual intensity, as Sabadell did not have the firepower to mount a comeback.
Some 50km away in Terrassa, a prestige clash saw eight-time winners Orizzonte bid farewell to the European stage this season with an impressive away victory.
They struck five times in the opening period to lead 3-5, and soon extended that to 3-6 before the hosts tightened their defence. Terrassa shut out the Italians for almost six minutes while scoring twice in 57 seconds to close the gap to 5-6.
They missed a six-on-four before the long break, a costly waste as Orizzonte responded with a 0-3 run after the restart, and three minutes into the third, the visitors led 5-9.
Terrassa never recovered, and despite some desperate efforts, Orizzonte maintained control. They held an 8-11 lead after three periods and, midway through the fourth, stretched the margin to five at 9-14, comfortably maintaining that advantage until the final whistle.
Group C
FTC-Telekom Waterpolo (HUN) 22-12 Spandau 04 Berlin (GER)
Vouliagmeni NC (GRE) 19-13 Rapallo Pallanuoto (ITA)
Standings: 1. FTC 16pts, 2. Vouliagmeni 14pts, 3. Rapallo 6pts, 4. Spandau 0pts
Both favourites finished their respective group stage campaigns with high-scoring victories. FTC made no mistake against bottom-ranked Spandau, though the Germans managed to stay relatively close in the first half, trailing 10-5 at the turnaround. Fradi then stepped up a gear and netted nine goals in the following eight minutes to secure top spot.
By the end, the number of goals conceded was high, but this time the young goalkeepers were given an opportunity, as European silver medallist Boglarka Neszmely watched from the stands.
Rapallo produced a brave performance in Athens in their final, stake-less encounter with Vouliagmeni, coming back from three goals down to level at 8-8 by half-time. They even took the lead late in the third at 10-11, and a six-on-five goal from Lola Moolhuijzen ensured it remained all square heading into the final period.
Francesca Co put the Italians ahead once more early in the fourth, but the Greeks responded emphatically with a 7-0 surge. Moolhuijzen and Eleni Xenaki led the charge, finishing with five goals apiece, as Vouliagmeni dominated the final quarter 8-2.
Group D
SIS Roma (ITA) 15-16 CN Sant Andreu (ESP)
ZV De Zaan (NED) 12-11 ONE Eger (HUN)
Standings: 1. St Andreu 18pts, 2. Roma 9pts, 3. De Zaan 6pts, 4. Eger 3pts
Roma made a flying start, racing into a 2-0 lead inside 74 seconds, only to concede four unanswered goals as St Andreu responded with a series of clinical finishes. The Italians kept battling and, early in the second, edged back in front at 6-5. However, the title-holders raised their level once more and, with a couple of six-on-five goals, moved 7-8 ahead by half-time.
The Spaniards underlined their quality at the start of the third, scoring three action goals in the space of two minutes. Although Chiara Ranalli briefly responded, St Andreu continued their surge, completing a 1-6 run in the quarter to open up an 8-14 advantage.
Olimpia Sesena saved a penalty just 24 seconds into the fourth, sparking an unexpected shift in momentum. Ranalli added an action goal, Roma denied a six-on-five, and midway through the period they struck twice more to halve the deficit. St Andreu’s attack stalled, and with 2:39 remaining, Elizaveta Zaplatina converted on extra to make it 12-14.
Before the situation worsened, Elena Ruiz delivered her fifth goal from a six-on-five. Roma replied with another extra-player goal, but Paula Camus struck from the centre to make it 13-16 with 1:19 remaining, effectively sealing the contest.
The hosts added two late counter-attacks in the final 27 seconds, but the comeback fell short, and St Andreu maintained their perfect record.
De Zaan and Eger then delivered a thrilling finale to the group stage, even with only third place at stake. After an evenly matched first half at 5-5, Eger struck twice early in the third, only for the Dutch side to respond with a 4-0 run.
Eger pulled one back before the break and levelled at 9-9 shortly after the restart. They added two more after 10-9 to reclaim the lead with 3:12 remaining, but could not extend their advantage.
Maud Koopman equalised from a six-on-five with 1:10 to play, before Kila van der Veen produced a dramatic buzzer-beater to secure victory for De Zaan.
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Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics
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