“Barracuda: Spain’s Visa for the Olympic Games”
Jerko Marinić Kragić scored three goals for the Croatian team, Photo: Betaphoto
In the final of the European Water Polo Championship, Croatia and Spain will face off, teams that originally met in the first round of Group A, which also featured Montenegro.
This showdown is not just about the championship title but also involves qualification for the Olympic Games, making it crucial for a more relaxed performance at the World Championship next month in Doha.
After Spain triumphed over Italy (7:4) earlier today, Croatia outperformed Hungary in a closely contested semi-final match, winning 11:8 and earning a shot at their third European championship title.
The Croats previously secured their titles as hosts in 2010 in Zagreb and in 2022 in Split.
For the first two quarters, the match between Croatia and Hungary was a fierce battle, but in the third quarter, the hosts began to assert their dominance, finally creating a three-goal lead for the first time midway through the last quarter (9:6).
Jerko Marinić Kragić was the standout player for Croatia with three goals (two from outside), while Adam Nađ and Vince Vigvari matched this performance for the losing side.
Croatia previously defeated Spain in the group stage by five points, with the final match set for Tuesday at 20:15.
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