Champions League Men: Title-holders FTC off the mark with big win in Hannover

Title-holders FTC produced the perfect response to their opening-day defeat to Pro Recco, cruising to a comprehensive away win over Waspo 98 Hannover. Elsewhere, Pro Recco’s strong start put them in control against HAVK Mladost and, although the Croatians fought back in the second half, they never came close to troubling the Italians, who maintained their perfect record in the quarterfinal stage.

2025/26 Champions League Men
Quarterfinals, Day 2
Wednesday 25 March

Group B

Waspo 98 Hannover (GER) 13-21 FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN)
Pro Recco (ITA) 13-10 HAVK Mladost (CRO)

Standings: 1. Pro Recco 6pts, 2. FTC 3pts, 2. Mladost 3pts, 4. Hannover 0pts

Waspo 98 Hannover (GER) 13-21 FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN) (3-5, 3-5, 3-6, 4-5)

Fradi bounced back from their big home defeat against Recco on Day 1, dismantling Hannover’s defence quarter by quarter to secure their first win in the quarterfinal stage.

Hannover started in the good old Waspo style that had underpinned many of their home performances in their heydays. Two possessions, two goals – a blast from Denis Strelezkij and a fine six-on-five finish from Mark Gansen for a 2-0 lead after just 61 seconds.

However, Fradi responded in a manner worthy of title-holders, converting three six-on-fives and adding a penalty to produce a 0-4 run in less than three minutes.

Lazar Vukicevic netted an extra to halt the hosts’ slide, but Akos Nagy struck FTC’s first 6m goal. Soma Vogel then produced a fine save in a double man-down and Fradi also missed an extra, leaving the first half at 3-5.

Strelezkij converted Waspo’s next six-on-four just 43 seconds after the restart, but Akos Nagy netted his third to maintain the gap.

Vogel delivered another save in man-down, Felix Benke replied in kind at the other end, and shortly after Antonio Buha scored from a strong body-to-body action to keep the Germans close at 5-6.

FTC earned a penalty and Stylianos Argyropoulos made no mistake, but Hannover answered with a well-worked six-on-five after a time-out, finished by Marko Macan from close range.

Vendel Vigvari’s wrist shot restored a two-goal cushion and Vogel followed with a trademark penalty save. Akos Nagy then struck his fourth from action to give Fradi a three-goal lead for the first time at 6-9.

Another stop from Vogel and a fortunate rebound allowed Szilard Jansik to guide the ball into the empty net on the next extra, extending the run to 0-3. A denied man-down at the end secured a 6-10 advantage at half-time.

Csongor Lugosi’s spectacular backhand finish in a six-on-five stretched the margin to five immediately after the restart, though Hannover stayed competitive.

Despite strong blocks in man-down from the title-holders, Lukas Kueppers and Marko Macan both scored from distance with precise efforts off the post. Fradi remained in control, though, with Krisztian Manhercz and Marton Vamos adding action goals.

Vigvari found the net during a late six-on-five, Nikola Milardovic pulled one back from an extra, but Vince Varga responded with 48 seconds remaining to set the third-quarter score at 3-5, mirroring the opening two periods. Edoardo di Somma, however, broke that pattern by finishing a counter at 0:04 for 9-16.

Fradi continued to dictate the game and, although it took six more minutes to reach the 20-goal mark, Hannover maintained their scoring rhythm, even adding a late penalty for a fourth goal in the period. The Magyars cruised to a convincing win – though a sterner test awaits in Zagreb next week.

Pro Recco (ITA) 13-10 HAVK Mladost (CRO) (5-2, 2-0, 4-5, 2-3)

Recco’s aggressive defending resulted in three man-down situations in the opening two minutes, but – similarly to what had happened on Day 1 in Fradi’s pool – they denied Mladost each time, then struck twice in 16 seconds through Francesco Cassia from action and an Alvaro Granados penalty.

Mladost finally converted their fifth six-on-five midway through the first period via Franko Lazic, but the usual Recco response followed: Francesco di Fulvio scored from distance and, 33 seconds later, Giacomo Cannella added an action goal for 4-1.

Konstantin Kharkov pulled one back with a second man-up conversion, but Recco replied before the break as Andrea Fondelli finished from a rebound for 5-2.

Cannella converted the hosts’ first extra in the second period after just 33 seconds, while the Croatians continued to struggle offensively.

Two more missed six-on-fives followed, and although Recco also went through a spell of missed chances, di Fulvio eventually made it 7-2 from a six-on-five after a five-minute drought.

Left-hander Ivan Nagaev endured a difficult spell, missing his third and fourth attempts in the same extra, leaving Mladost at 2-for-9 in six-on-five situations as Recco led 7-2 at half-time.

The pattern shifted after the restart, as the other Russian-born left-hander, Konstantin Kharkov, converted Mladost’s first extra to end a 10:42-minute scoring drought.

Recco’s Aussie star Luke Pavillard responded with two action goals, but the Croatians improved in their six-on-five execution, scoring three in a row. Nagaev then found the net from action to bring Mladost back to 9-6 with 1:56 remaining in the penultimate period.

The hosts answered quickly, however, as Matteo Iocchi Gratta netted their third action goal of the quarter.

Then, with 55 seconds left, Recco earned their first six-on-five, drew a penalty, and Granados restored the five-goal cushion.

Mladost responded once more, setting up Josip Vrlic on 2m to make it 4-for-4 on extras in the period, but Recco still held a comfortable 11-7 lead.

Max Irving converted the Italians’ first six-on-five of the final period, though they missed the next opportunity and Mladost struck twice in 34 seconds to close to 12-9.

Any momentum was short-lived, however, as Andrea Fondelli responded immediately from action on the next possession with 3:39 remaining.

Chances went begging at both ends before Kharkov added another extra for 13-10 with 1:11 left, and Recco, managing the closing stages with authority, maintained their perfect record in this season’s Champions League.

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Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics

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