Novi Belgrade beat Steaua, Radnicki bone point in Split
Both Serbian clubs participating in the Champions League played matches of the first round tonight. Novi Beograd defeated Romanian Steaua 11:7 in Group A in its pool. Radnički returns from visiting Jadran in Split in Group B with one point. After four quarters, the score was 10:10, and the people of Split were more successful in making five-meters and recorded a 15:13 triumph.
Novi Beograd, despite the rejuvenated team and the fact that coach Živko Gocić could not count on all the players was the favorite against Steaua, but secured three points only in the last quarter. Novi Belgrade's first goalkeeper Frančesko de Mikelis, as well as Luka Gladović, Dušan Trtović and Marko Dimitrijević, were not injured due to the card from last season.
The team from Bucharest started the match better, leading 3:0, but the home team managed to equalize by the end of the first half (3:3). Until the last quarter, the Romanian team offered strong resistance to the people of Novobeograd, the game was even, and even before the last part, no one had an advantage. The scoreboard read 6:6. In the fourth quarter, Đorđe Vučinić with three goals and Dimitrios Skumpakis with two secured an 11:7 triumph for the people of Novobeograd. Vučinić and Skumpakis were the most effective in the winning camp with four goals each, and Martinović, Ćuk and Lukić also scored.
The workers' match in Split started badly, in a similar way to Novi Beograd's duel with the Romanian champions. Jadran led 3:0, and the first goal from Kragujevac was scored only in the 15th minute, when Duško Pijetlović used the extra player. The Australian Berehulak returned the people of Split to "plus three" - 4:1, but in the last minute of the first half, Uroš Stevanović's team reduced the deficit to just one goal (4:3) with two consecutive goals by Lazar Vićković and Nikola Jakšić, and in the rest of the match they reached are also tied, through Nikola Murišić and Vićković – 5:5.
After the guests' fifth goal, the fantastic Loren Fatović entered the scene and with three consecutive goals, Jadran led the way to victory. The home team led 8:5 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. But the guests didn't say the last word either, they responded with a series of 5:1. With a goal by Dušan Vasić, 11 seconds before the end, they came close to victory (10:9). Jadran went all-or-nothing and three seconds before the end, Fatović scored to equalize - 10:10.
In the third series of penalties, Vasić's shot was saved by the second goalkeeper of Split, Martin Čelar, while all the Jadran players on the other side were accurate, so they got a bigger part of the cake. The most effective player of the match was Jdranov ace Loren Fatović, with five goals. In the Radnički team, Lazar Vićković led the way with three, Vasić scored two, and Janković, Pijetlović, Drašović, N.Jakšić and Murišić scored one each.
In the second round, on October 15, Radnički will welcome Ferencvaros, and Novi Beograd will once again have a Romanian team as their rival, they will be guests of Oradea.
Champions League 2024/25, first round
Group A: Novi Beograd – Steaua 11:7 (3:3, 1:1, 2:2, 5:1), Vaspo 98 Hanover – Oradea 10:11.
Group B: Jadran ST – Radnički 15:13 (2:0, 2:3, 3:2, 3:5, 5:3), Ferencvaros – Dinamo Tbilisi 16:7.
Group C and D matches will be played on Wednesday.
