The Jadran water polo team faced a tough setback in their first match of the Eurocup round of 16, primarily due to a poor performance in the last quarter.

Entering the match as the underdogs, Novljani’s situation worsened after a 16:10 defeat against Savona.

Petar Radanović’s squad initially took the lead with an opening goal from Jovan Vujović, followed by a second goal from Vasilije Radović, putting them ahead 2:1.

However, Savona quickly gained momentum starting in the second quarter.

By the end of the second quarter, they established a significant lead of 7:4. Although Jadran managed to keep it close through the third period, narrowing the gap to 7:6 and 9:8, the final quarter revealed a notable difference in skill.

At one point, Savona extended their advantage to seven goals, 16:9, after Valerio Rico scored during a power play. Vasilije Radović capped off the match with a goal just 65 seconds before the final whistle.

“We allowed too many goals. Although we bounced back a couple of times, we made critical errors in the end. We failed to capitalize on our opportunities; several balls ended up in the hands of our opponents, and we couldn’t manage Savona’s aggressive strategy as anticipated. The difference was stark— we were evenly matched in the first two quarters,” Radanović stated.

Vasilije was the standout performer for the Montenegrin champions, netting four goals, while Dmitrij Holod contributed two. Others on the scoreboard included Matej Čaraj, Vujović, Ivan Nagaev, and Matija Sladović, each scoring once.

For Savona, Rico led the scoring with four goals, while Montenegrin player Bogdan Đurđić added three goals.

The second leg will take place on March 23.

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