A disappointing final quarter proved costly for the Jadran water polo team in their opening match of the Eurocup round of 16.

Novljani entered the match as underdogs and their standing only worsened following a 16:10 defeat to Savona.

Petar Radanović’s squad initially took the lead with a goal from Jovan Vujović, followed by a score from Vasilije Radović that gave them a 2:1 advantage.

However, Savona began to assert their control starting from the second quarter.

They established their first significant lead in the second quarter’s penultimate minute, leading 7:4. Jadran managed to stay competitive, narrowing the gap to 7:6 and then 9:8 by the end of the third quarter.

The final eight minutes, however, highlighted a gap in quality, as Savona extended their lead to seven at one point, 16:9, following a goal from Valerio Rico during a man-up situation. Vasilije Radović scored to finalize the score 65 seconds before the match concluded.

“We conceded too many goals. We managed to come back on two occasions, but in the final instance, we made several mistakes. We failed to capitalize on our opportunities, losing several balls to the opponent and didn’t handle Savona’s aggressive play as we had anticipated. There was a significant difference, as we were completely equal in the first two quarters,” Radanović remarked.

Vasilije was the standout player for the Montenegrin champions, netting four goals, while Dmitrij Holod contributed two. Matej Čaraj, Vujović, Ivan Nagaev, and Matija Sladović each added one goal.

Rico was a key player for Savona, scoring four goals, while Montenegrin representative Bogdan Đurđić scored one less.

The second leg is scheduled for March 23.

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