Jadran celebrate in the derby

The 4th round of the Premier League has concluded, with the derby in Split catching the attention of our water polo community. The match between champion Jadran and runner-up Jug Adriatic osiguranje was highly anticipated.


The people of Split celebrated in their own pool. However, compared to the previous season, the Dubrovnik team has lost some quality, which was evident in the pool. Nevertheless, one Dubrovnik player shone again, but this time wearing Jadran's cap. Loren Fatović scored 3 out of Jadran's 4 goals in just the first quarter of the match. He continued his impressive performance, adding his fourth goal early in the second quarter to lead 5-3. In total, Fatović scored 6 goals throughout the game. He could have scored even more, as in the closing minutes, he selflessly assisted captain Marinić Kragić in a 2-on-1 situation. Another standout player for Jadran was Marko Bijač, who made 8 saves, crucial in securing Jadran's victory. Jadran led the game from the start, with Dubrovnik only managing to equalize briefly at the opening of the match (1-1). The hosts extended their lead to 9-5 in the third quarter, but Dubrovnik narrowed the gap to just one goal (10-9). The beginning of the final quarter was somewhat tense, with Dubrovnik trailing by only a goal. Despite losing three players to three personal fouls (Pejković, Berehulak, and Radan), two crucial saves by Bijač and two goals by Marinić Kragić and another by Fatović secured Jadran's 15-11 victory.
This marks Jug's third consecutive loss, and these two teams will meet again soon for the first cup of the season, the Super Cup, in Šibenik on Wednesday. --- ## Mladost breaks the losing streak In Zagreb, the Frogs ended their three consecutive losses with a victory. Rijeka's Primorje EB has been a significant challenge for Zagreb in the past two seasons, but not anymore. This time, both teams were different. Throughout the game, the Zagreb team completely controlled the match, not allowing the slightest chance for another setback. Rijeka struggled with their man-up opportunities (3-17). With each passing minute, Mladost's lead increased, eventually winning by +8. --- ## Šibenik's great victory Solaris created a small but surprising outcome of the round. The Šibenik team defeated the Montenegrin champions, members of the Champions League, by three goals in Budva. Despite the strength and quality of Seferović's team, they managed to face and overcome even the strongest opponents. However, their away victory against the team competing in the top league on the continent came as a surprise. The match began with Primorac taking a 3-0 lead in just over four minutes. Then Solaris started their impressive performance, equalizing to 3-3 in the middle of the second quarter. From then on, the match saw back-and-forth play until Solaris took the lead at 5-5 in the middle of the third quarter. They managed to secure the win with a strong finish, with the Akrap brothers contributing goals for a remarkable victory for Šibenik.