Belgrade 2026: Day 2 match previews – Belgrade

Men’s European Water Polo Championships, Belgrade 2026

Match previews, Day 2 – Sunday 11 January (native occasions proven)

Group B

18.00 Slovenia v Croatia

• The Slovenians have had three appearances between 1999 and 2006 once they often completed both final or one higher, then they returned to the large stage in 2022. That time they ended up in sixteenth place, the final time they climbed greater to complete 14th.

• Croatia are on one other degree, as since 1993, they’ve made the semis 11 occasions in 16 editions and have received six medals to date. Playing at dwelling, they all the time reached the ultimate and received twice (2010, 2022), then misplaced two years in the past in Zagreb. Across the final 4 championships, they’ve all the time reached the semis and performed back-to-back finals on the final two editions.

• They have met thrice on the Europeans to date, with the Croats successful all of their clashes with ease – after defeating their rivals 9-4 each in 1999 and 2003, they met right here in 2006 for the final time and Croatia received 19-8.

• Their total head-to-head stands at 10-0.

• Fun truth: Well, much less enjoyable for the Croats, who’ve depressing recollections from Belgrade as they completed seventh at every of the earlier two championships held right here, in 2006 and 2016.

Group B

20.30 Greece v Georgia

• Even although Greece have had some large success within the new millennium, as they reached finals on the Olympics (2021) and on the Worlds (2023) and delivered medals from the highest occasions (thrice on the final 4 Worlds), they’ve but to climb the rostrum on the European Championships.

• They have taken half in 20 editions to date (debuted in 1970) however have solely made the semi-finals twice, in 1999 and 2016, however they misplaced their final two matches each occasions. After Belgrade 2016, they went on to lose the quarterfinals within the following 4 championships, then completed fifth thrice, together with the final two editions in 2022 and 2024.

• Georgia made the minimize for the primary time in 2014 and ever since turned a relentless function on the Europeans. Their greatest outcome got here in 2022 once they managed to advance to the quarters and completed eighth, in that yr, additionally they competed on the World Championships. They dropped again to the tenth place two years in the past.

• At the Europeans, the Greeks downed Georgia upon their 2014 debut with a 15-6 blast and their following two encounters resulted in related routs. Greece received 17-10 in 2020 and 18-9 two years in the past. Altogether, Greece leads 10-0 in head-to head, all matches had been lopsided, with an 8-12 targets distinction, solely their 2020 Olympic qualifier provided sudden pleasure when a single purpose within the fourth interval received the match for the Greeks with 11-10.

• Fun truth: This goes to be a conflict of two Greek coaches. Theodoros Vlachos has been answerable for the Greeks since 2014, whereas Athanasios Kechagias is now the boss of the Georgians.

Group D

12.45 Türkiye v Italy

• Türkiye ruined the Germans’ historic run of participating in all however one version of the Europeans for the reason that very starting in 1926. They ousted them within the {qualifications} to return to the large stage after six years. This goes to be their seventh look since they first entered in 1966 – to date, they managed to win 4 matches out of 46 they performed.

• Italy have a robust bond with the Europeans – after lacking two early editions (1926, 1931), they took half in every championship. Their greatest spell was between 1987 and 2001 once they clinched six medals at eight tournaments, together with back-to-back golds in 1993 and 1995. However, that was additionally their final triumph up to now and so they may add three medals on their final 11 tries. Though it seems to be higher if we think about the Italians’ semi-final appearances as they managed to succeed in the highest 4 six occasions within the final eight editions (since 2010) and after 4 medal-less occasions, they lastly landed the bronze two years in the past in Zagreb.

• Italy have by no means had any issues downing the Türks of their most up-to-date clashes. At the Europeans, they met right here within the Belgrade Arena for the final time in 2016, when Italy blew them away with a 16-2 rout. Their earlier three matches weren’t any totally different both (1991: 22-4, 2010: 9-4, 2012: 14-6). The different clashes ended equally once they met on the World League with the closest contest seeing a ten purpose distinction in 2015 (14-4). Over the final 10 years, Italy are 6-0 up within the head-to-heads.

• Fun truth: Among the highest contenders, Italy are the one workforce arriving in Belgrade with an ideal report in the course of the prep weeks since December. They performed 5 matches and received all of them – they edged out the Hungarians in Budapest (15-14) then beat the Montenegrins 15-12 in Napoli. Then in Trebinje in January, they pulled off a shootout win towards Spain (18-16), downed Serbia 13-11 (led 10-4 after three durations) and staged a powerful 4-0 rally to return again from 6-9 down towards Hungary and received that match with a buzzer-beater on the finish.

Group D

15.15 Romania v Slovakia

• Romania debuted in 1954 and since 1962 they haven’t missed a single version. In 1993, they achieved their greatest outcome, reaching the semis in Sheffield and completed fourth – and so they repeated that in 2006 right here in Belgrade. Ten years later they dropped to tenth place on this Arena and so they completed exterior the highest eight on the following three editions as effectively. Two years in the past, they returned to the highest flight by ousting Georgia within the crossovers, which additionally opened the way in which for them to a different Olympic look in Paris and a World Championship run in Singapore.

• Slovakia have had extra reasonable outcomes. They may by no means make the highest 4, although they had been shut in 2001, 25 years in the past, once they virtually caught the Yugoslavs within the quarters. Another QF look in 2003 was their final snicker, once they produced their best-ever effort by ending seventh. Since then, they’ve by no means returned to the highest eight, even lacking three straight editions (2010-14) earlier than making the minimize once more. Still, they had been both thirteenth (like two years in the past) or 14th, or one worse, fifteenth in 2022.

• This goes to be an enormous conflict because the three sides behind Italy will struggle for the 2 qualifying spots – although Romania are undoubtedly the favourites as their nationwide workforce has been constructed round golf equipment enjoying within the Champions League (the Slovaks and the Türks don’t have any workforce within the high membership competitors).

• In their current matches, Romania often took the higher hand, they’re 6-1 up in official competitions. They received their final two encounters, each on the Europeans – 8-7 in 2024 and 9-5 in 2018. Slovakia’s lonely win, a 6-5 nailbiter, got here in a World League sport in 2017.

• Fun truth: Romania’s Eduard-Mihai Dragusin is the oldest participant in all the subject in Belgrade. The goalie celebrated his forty second birthday per week in the past on 5 January. Six of his team-mates had been nonetheless attending kindergarten when he debuted within the nationwide workforce in 2007.

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Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics