The first match in a tournament may be the hardest, and Spain is a formidable opponent at any stage of the championship…

Following their thrilling victory in a penalty shootout against France (20:19), the Montenegrin water polo players are set to face off against one of the world’s top teams, Spain, in the second round of the European Championship.

The match in Dubrovnik is scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) at 17:45.

“We are preparing for an excellent national team with significant individual talent, as well as an impressive game system that has been honed over the years. They are certainly a much tougher opponent than France,” remarked our center, Miroslav Perković.

The system employed by David Martin’s team was emphasized by Vlado Popadić.

“We know their strengths; Felipe Perone may be in the later stages of his career, but he still performs exceptionally well. We must not overlook Alvaro Granados, who is one of the best scorers globally. Moreover, I believe Spain has the finest system that has been implemented for years,” Popadić emphasized.

“Furija” has consistently stayed at the top of international water polo, having won the world championship two years ago in Budapest, yet they have their vulnerabilities.

“I believe we can exploit opportunities against Spain. They too have weaknesses that we must attack… We can compete with them in terms of pace and swimming, given our excellent physical preparation. I am confident the coaching staff will devise a solid game plan,” Perković added.

Popadić elaborated on those weaknesses.

“Certainly, the centers are an area we need to target defensively. They are physically demanding and do not react well to movement, which represents one of our chances to exploit, much like in our match in Fukuoka, while avoiding errors from that encounter,” Popadić remarked.

Regardless, after the victory against France, everything feels much more manageable…

“Following our win over France, the rest of the tournament will undoubtedly feel easier. We’ve often mentioned that the initial match of any tournament is challenging, no matter who the opponent is. We anticipated a tougher challenge from France than they presented during the tournament in Italy, but what matters most is that we emerged victorious and can move forward,” Popadić added.

After the match against France, Stefan Vidović called upon fans to support the “sharks” at the Gruž pool, and Popadić echoed that sentiment.

“I want to express my gratitude for the fantastic support against France. I hope it will be just as strong for the match against Spain, and we will provide a thrilling game to watch,” Popadić concluded.

EP 2024, 2nd round

Saturday

17:45 p.m. Montenegro – Spain

20:15 p.m. Croatia – France

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