Belgrade 2026: European Water Polo Championships Day 8 match previews – Belgrade

Match previews, Day 8 – Saturday 17 January
(native occasions proven)

Group Stage II
Group F

15:30 Georgia v Italy

• Italy are all set to keep up their good report earlier than they tackle their two huge rivals, Greece and Croatia.

• Ever since Georgia first certified for the European Championships, they’ve been drawn to the identical group with Italy in each single version. Not surprisingly, they’ve by no means obtained near upsetting them. Here are the outcomes since 2014, Georgia’s first look on the large stage:

2014: 15-5, 2016: 21-1, 2018: 14-3, 2020: 18-6, 2022: 18-8, 2024: 22-5.

• They have performed one shut match, a World League qualifier in 2017, however Italy prevailed there too, 13-12. All in all, the entire stands at 9-0.

• Fun reality: Italy topped the group stage in offence: they scored essentially the most objectives, 56, and took essentially the most pictures, 117, although their capturing share, 47.9%, was solely 5^th (behind HUN, GRE, CRO and ESP).

Group Stage II
Group F

18:00 Greece v Türkiye

• After their dramatic win in opposition to Croatia, the Greeks might get pleasure from a better – on paper – sport in opposition to Türkiye who already wrote historical past by advancing to this stage as they’ve often performed within the classification matches for the underside ranks earlier than.

• After a collection of World League qualifiers in 2011-13, these two groups first clashed on the European Championships within the Belgrade Arena, in 2016 – the Greeks gained with ease, 21-6. Their subsequent match – and the final one so far – two years later in Barcelona led to a rout, Greece gained 27-1. All in all, their whole stands at 7-0.

• Fun reality: It’s going to be a particular night for the 2 coaches, Greece’s boss Theodoros Vlachos and Türkiye’s commander Konstantinos Loudis. They are usually not solely fellow Greeks however had been born in the identical 12 months (1969) and at first of their enjoying profession, they debuted on the European Championships collectively in Bonn 1989. While that was the one time Vlachos performed a serious event for the nationwide workforce, Loudis grew to become a key determine, who stayed on enjoying for Greece till 2003. As a coach, the other occurred – it’s the 14th season for Vlachos on the helm in Greece, whereas Loudis has begun to work with the Turks just lately, however his affect is already evident.

Group Stage II
Group F

20:30 Croatia v Romania

• Croatia are actually underneath stress as they must win all three matches within the second stage to clinch a semi-final berth. Romania have a mathematical likelihood, however they would want to upset the Croats and the Greeks, which is very unlikely.

• While Croatia have a strong report on the Europeans, their head-to-head with the Romanians on the continental showcase is surprisingly even – 2 wins and a couple of losses. The first one was embarrassing, upon Croatia’s debut as an unbiased nation in 1993, however Romania upset them within the group to attain their best-ever end, a 4th place, whereas the Croats missed the semis. And the Romanians additionally had a hand within the Croats’ worst-ever end on the Europeans – after the favourites beat them on the opening day 10-7, they met once more within the 7-Tenth place crossovers and the Romanians beat them in a shootout (12-12, 4-3). Between the 2, Croatia beat them 13-7 on the residence Europeans in Zagreb 2010.

• Their most up-to-date match occurred on the Paris Olympics the place Croatia gained, however not by a lot, 11-8. Three years earlier they downed Romania 16-6 on the Qualification event.

• Fun reality: Both groups have been constructed round one main residence membership, from the respective capitals. The Croats have 9 gamers from Mladost Zagreb, and the Romanians additionally chosen 9 from Steaua Bucharest. As a pointy distinction, whereas Mladost are set to advance to the Quarter-final Round of the Champions League, Steaua haven’t any likelihood of creating the eight-finals within the Euro Cup as they’ve misplaced all 5 matches up to now.

Thirteenth-Sixteenth Classification

10:15 Slovenia v Israel

• Claiming two factors in opposition to Slovakia was an incredible feat for Slovenia on Friday, however they’re on the lookout for extra and now they tackle Israel, who’re but to earn their first factors right here in Belgrade after 4 straight defeats.

• Currently, Israel are the one facet in the entire discipline with zero factors from 4 matches.

• These two groups have met as soon as earlier than, 4 years in the past, when Israel, enjoying at their first-ever Europeans, gained 9-5 within the group stage to advance to the highest 12.

12:45 Slovakia v Malta

• Slovakia managed to save lots of the sport in opposition to Slovenia to a tie on Friday, however they misplaced the shootout. They are but to win a sport right here in Belgrade, however not less than they’ve some extent – and now they face Malta, who managed to down Israel within the first spherical.

• They performed three matches on the Europeans and Slovakia gained all of them – every was one of many crossovers within the playoffs for the 13-Sixteenth locations. The first was right here in Belgrade in 2016 and led to a 17-9 rout. The following two had been extra balanced, 11-6 in 2018 and 8-4 in 2020.

• Their most up-to-date conflict was in 2024 on the World Cup Division II the place Malta managed to beat Slovakia for the primary time, 15-14.

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Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics