The last round of the group stage showcased an impressive match by Montenegro’s young water polo players, yet they ended up with a third defeat, securing the last position in Group A as they head into the knockout stage of the European Junior Championship.

After victories over Spain (8:6) and Hungary (13:9) in Burgas, the “Sharks” faced a tough loss against Croatia, conceding the match 8:7 (2:3, 2:0, 2:3, 2:1).

This outcome means that Miodrag Miorović’s team will be up against the Netherlands in the knockout phase. The match is set for tomorrow (Wednesday) at 12:30 p.m.

In a closely contested game, Montenegro appeared to have control with a 7:6 lead five and a half minutes before the match concluded, maintaining a one-goal advantage until just 36 seconds were left on the clock.

However, Vlaho Pavlić equalized the game at 7:7 with his fifth goal and then, in a thrilling finish, netted the decisive goal just one second before the buzzer, securing the win for the “young barracudas”.

Our national team’s goals were scored by Strahinja Gojković, Andrija Roganović, and Draško Samardžić, each contributing two goals, alongside Balša Vučković, who scored one. Meanwhile, Pavlić was the standout for Croatia, netting six of their eight goals.

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