Šabac sinks Panathinaikos after a brilliant start and advances to the European Cup Round of 16

Water polo team from Šabac has advanced to the Round of 16 in the European Cup after finishing the group stage in second place following a splendid match against Greek Panathinaikos and a victory of 10:8. Šabac had its weakest performance of the season precisely in the duel against Athenians (lost 12:5) and were highly motivated to seek revenge and qualify for the Round of 16, where potential opponents could be Jadran HN, Radnički, Sabadell, and Steaua.

In front of a full crowd at the Šabac pool, Nemanja Ličanin's team entered the match in the best possible way. Minute after minute, Šabac players rattled the guests' net, guarded by Dimitrije Rističević, resulting in a very convincing 6:0 lead in the eighth minute.

At the beginning of the second quarter, Ognjen Stojanović extended the lead to six goals (7:1), and by halftime, Šabac was ahead by five goals - 8:3 - seemingly heading towards a calm finale. However, the home team began missing opportunities in the third period (failing to convert four power plays), and the Greek team began punishing them, narrowing the gap to just one goal in the 26th minute with a 4-0 streak (7:8).

During the final break, Nemanja Ličanin's team managed to regroup. In the first attack in the fourth quarter, Stojanović doubled Šabac's lead to 9:7. Greek international Papanikolau quickly responded, but midway through the quarter, Andrej Barać sealed the deal with a final score of 10:8 with a man advantage.

Three goals for Šabac were scored by the young Serbian national team player Filip Novaković, while Andrej Barać, Luka Pljevančić, and Ognjen Stojanović each added two goals.

The Round of 16 will also feature teams like Brescia, Jug, BVSC, Ortigia, Pro Reko, Mladost Zagreb, and Barcelona, as well as eight teams from the Champions League, including Steaua, Hannover, Radnički, Dinamo Tbilisi, Jadran HN, Vasas, Sabadell, and Primorac.

- I would like to congratulate my team on the victory. We played an extremely tough match, opened very well, then slowed down and got into their rhythm. But in the end, when it mattered most, we were on point. None of this would have been possible without this kind of phenomenal support from the fans, who carried us to victory - said the home team coach, Nemanja Ličanin, after the match.

Water Polo European Cup, 6th round

Group A

Jug – Brescia 15:11, Apollon – Strasbourg 17:11.

Standings: 1. Brescia 14, 2. Jug 9, 3. Apollon 7, 4. Strasbourg 4.

Group B

Ortigia – Panionios 14:11, Vouliagmeni – BVSC 14:15.

Standings: 1. BVSC 15, 2. Ortigia 12, 3. Vouliagmeni 6, 4. Panionios 3.

Group C

Szolnok – Pro Reko 10:15, Mladost – Duisburg 14:4.

Standings: 1. Pro Reko 18, 2. Mladost 10, 3. Szolnok 8, 4. ASC Duisburg 0.

Group D

Šabac – Panathinaikos, Honved – Barcelona 13:12.

Standings: 1. Barcelona 12, 2. Šabac 12, 3. Panathinaikos 9, 4. Honved 3.