Key Results in French Water Polo: Lille, Strasbourg and Marseille Stand Out
It was a defining weekend and European stage for French water polo clubs. In the women’s elite championship, Lille reinforced their status as league leaders by clinching a decisive victory in the Classico against Nice (20-11), maintaining their unbeaten record. Cecilia Nardini’s six goals and decisive play in the last minutes, along with support from Lana Di Fraja and Lily Vernoux, were pivotal for Lille in this historical duel, confirming their dominance domestically.
Bordeaux delivered a powerful performance in the battle for survival, winning 18-7 away to Taverny. Elizabeth Grace Estelle Birch was the standout with seven goals, as Bordeaux controlled the game from the start and held a comfortable lead throughout. Taverny, despite efforts from Sohane and Feryel Bentaleb, could not turn the momentum in their favor.
Toulon also secured an emphatic 24-5 win on the road against Choisy-le-Roi, strengthening their position in fourth place. The Varoises' attack, led by Valentine Heurtaux (six goals) and Léopoldine Burle (five goals), was unstoppable, demonstrating clear superiority from the first quarter and never leaving the hosts a chance to recover.
In the men’s league, Strasbourg extended their lead at the top of the table with a confident 17-11 win away at Sète. The team, powered by Mathis Mas and Adam Mehdi, pulled away after halftime and controlled the closing stages, highlighting their offensive depth. Sète stayed competitive through the first half, but Strasbourg’s consistency was ultimately decisive.
Nice produced a crucial away victory over Bordeaux (16-6), asserting control from the opening minutes with significant contributions from Manatéa Mathieu (four goals) and Samuel Balaz (three goals). This victory allowed Nice to reclaim the fourth spot in the standings, further tightening the competition for the top places.
On the European stage, Marseille confirmed their spot in the Euro Cup quarter-finals after a dramatic second leg at home against Savone. Despite a late comeback by the Italians that led to a 13-13 draw, the aggregate score (thanks to a narrow 12-11 first-leg win in Italy) sent Marseille through. Ugo Crousillat led the Marseillais with five goals in a tense match that saw the French side take control early but resist Savone’s persistent challenges in the closing minutes.
Other Eurocup round of 16 results included BVSC defeating Vasas (first leg: 8-11), Jadran Herceg Novi narrowly losing to Panathinaïkos (10-11), Radnicki overpowering Barcelona (15-10), Sabadell defeating Sabac (3-11), Terrassa falling to Oradea (13-14), and Jadran Split prevailing against Szolnok (15-10). Marseille’s progression was highlighted as they faced the strong Italian side, with the quarter-final place now securely theirs.
