Euro Cup Women: CNAB and Catalunya fail to make home advantage count as semifinals end all square

Pallanuoto Trieste and BVSC Manna ABC will begin the second legs of their Euro Cup semifinals as slight favourites after both sides drew away from home on Saturday. European debutants Zodiac CNAB pushed the Italians all the way, and although they were unable to secure a victory, they caused the runners-up from the past two seasons plenty of problems and will aim to do so again in the return fixture. Just a few miles away, EPlus CN Catalunya were unable to shake off a resilient BVSC, who recovered from four goals down to level on five occasions, with their last equaliser arriving just six seconds from time.

2025/26 Euro Cup Women
Semifinals, Leg 1
Saturday 11 April

Zodiac CNAB (ESP) 12-12 Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA)
EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) 13-13 BVSC Manna ABC (HUN)

Second legs: Saturday 16 May

Zodiac CNAB (ESP) 12-12 Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) (1-2, 3-1, 4-6, 4-3)

Both teams failed to capitalise on two early six-on-five opportunities before Nerea Martin broke the deadlock for the hosts after almost six minutes of intense battling.

Trieste captain Lucrezia Cergol responded immediately, levelling with a powerful 6m effort into the bottom-left corner, before finishing off a counter-attack with a precise lob shortly after to give the visitors the lead at the first break (1-2).

The Italian defence proved less compact in the second quarter, as the hosts began to find holes, with Clara Diaz scoring three times to turn the game around by half-time (4-3).

After Giorgia Klatowski equalised early in the third, the lead changed hands several times, but Trieste began to assert themselves, with New Zealand star Morgan McDowall powering in four goals in this period – the last arriving with 0:54 remaining to edge them back in front (8-9).

Martin struck from CNAB’s opening attack of the fourth quarter to bring the hosts level with a well-taken effort from the right wing, and a minute later Olympic champion Paula Leiton created space brilliantly in the centre to tap home, much to the delight of the home crowd.

An Emma de March penalty brought Trieste back on level terms after both sides spurned further six-on-five chances, before McDowall put the visitors ahead once again with a composed finish from the centre.

Elena Flynn restored parity for CNAB, but Francesca Colletta completed another well-worked move down the left to put Trieste back in front.

It was not enough for victory, however, as Flynn had the final say with 2:52 remaining, calmly bouncing her penalty into the right corner to ensure the second leg begins all square.

EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) 13-13 BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) (3-1, 3-3, 3-5, 4-4)

After killing a Catalunya six-on-five, BVSC Manna ABC drew first blood in the second minute of their semifinal, as Dorina Dobi opened the scoring, but their lead didn’t last long.

Emmerson Houghton had the home crowd on their feet with a stunning long-range effort that flew into the top-left corner, before Belen Vosseberg edged the hosts ahead, driving down the right and finishing emphatically.

In defence, European champion goalkeeper Luara Aarts denied the Hungarians on several occasions, before Ona Tarrino added a third for Catalunya on the counter to make it 3-1 at the first break.

Anna Mucsy pulled one back at the start of the second quarter, but Ruth Arino quickly restored the two-goal gap with a neat finish from centre.

Houghton was then afforded too much space on the left, and her shot deflected into the far corner, leaving BVSC goalkeeper Tunde Schmuck with no chance and stretching the lead to three (5-2).

The Spanish defence continued to impress, working tirelessly to get blocks in, and when the press was beaten, Aarts was there to tidy up.

At the other end, Houghton completed her hat-trick with another 6m strike to put Catalunya firmly in control (6-2), prompting BVSC coach Gergely Beres to call a time-out.

His intervention paid off, as his side scored the final two goals of the half – Dobi converting immediately from a six-on-five, before completing her own hat-trick from a penalty.

At the start of the third, Zoe Lendvay maintained BVSC’s momentum with a powerful 6m effort from the left, but Houghton ended the Hungarians’ 3-0 run with her fourth of the game.

The visitors continued to push forward, with Pien Gorter striking from the centre to bring them within one again. Houghton responded once more, but Mucsy rifled in from the right wing to make it 8-7.

It was end-to-end, and each time Catalunya’s lead was threatened, they found a response – until that pattern broke at 9-8, when Fruzsina Toth struck from distance to level for the first time at 9-9.

Toula Falvey then rattled the crossbar with a backhander seconds before the penultimate break, as the score remained all square heading into the final eight minutes.

Arino missed a golden opportunity early in the fourth from a six-on-five, firing straight at the goalkeeper, but the resulting corner fell to Julia Frigola, who flashed her shot into the top corner to restore the hosts’ advantage.

Dobi then swam the length of the pool on the counter to win a penalty, which Lendvay converted to make it 10-10 with 5:11 remaining.

Catalunya’s Lucia Gomez de la Puente responded immediately from the left post, before Lendvay equalised once again.

There was still time for further drama, as Falvey bundled the ball in from centre, only for Lendvay to hammer home another penalty for 12-12 with 2:10 on the clock.

A frantic finale followed, as Arino rose superbly at the far post to convert a six-on-five, but with just six seconds remaining, Toth found space to squeeze her effort from distance past Aarts’ right hand and into the corner, as BVSC equalised for a fifth and final time.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics

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