The climax is approaching in Dubrovnik as the Montenegrin water polo team prepares to face Croatia tonight at 20:15, which will determine their seeding for the finals in Zagreb at the European Championship.

With just 32 minutes left in Group A, nothing is set in stone. Although Vladimir Gojković’s squad has secured one win from five matches, they still have a chance to clinch a direct quarterfinal spot, possibly even from first place.

This scenario, however, is a bit unrealistic; the “Sharks” must defeat Croatia while hoping for a French upset against Spain.

What’s crucial is securing a place among the top eight teams, which would also ensure qualification for the World Championship in Doha this February. A win against the “barracudas” would secure second place and the second quarterfinal ticket—again, this only applies after 32 minutes of play, where a victory in regulation earns three points, while extra time yields two.

While the top two teams from the group are expected to progress directly to the quarterfinals, the other two national teams will need to vie for their spots through playoffs.

If our team loses to Croatia and Spain wins, they will finish third; they’d drop to fourth if France triumphs over “La Furia.”

If Montenegro tops Group A, they will face the winner of the Group D duel, likely against Romania, or the fourth-placed team from Group B, probably Georgia.

A second-place finish would see them up against the runner-up from Group D and the third-place team from Group B.

Placing third in the group would pit them against the second-place finisher from Group C (likely Germany), while a last-place finish would mean facing Serbia for a quarterfinal berth.

Group A

Today’s Matches

17:45 – Spain vs France

20:15 – Montenegro vs Croatia

Group B

Today’s Matches

17:00 – Georgia vs Greece

19:00 – Hungary vs Italy

Group C

Tomorrow’s Matches

17:00 – Germany vs Israel

19:00 – Serbia vs Malta

Group D

Tomorrow’s Matches

17:45 – Slovakia vs Romania

20:15 – Netherlands vs Slovenia

News