As the round neared its conclusion, the Jadran water polo players were clearly unable to secure a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals, pushing them toward the next round of the Eurocup.

Novlja faced a defeat of 16:14 (2:3, 3:2, 7:5, 4:4) against their local rivals in Split. They fell short in the final moments, as Ivan Nagajev scored a challenging equalizer at 13:13 with just four minutes and 47 seconds remaining.

However, Luka Burić and Loren Fatović seized the opportunity with the next two attacks, clinching the win for the favorites.

The Montenegrin champions initially led 2:0 and 3:1, with their last advantage occurring at the beginning of the 3rd quarter (6:5). A stunning sequence from Split followed, as they netted seven goals in just five minutes and fifty seconds, jumping ahead 12:9.

Despite Petr Radanović’s team managing to equalize at 12:12 and again at 13:13, they ultimately couldn’t regain their footing in the match…

Nagajev was the standout player, scoring six goals, supported by Danilo Radović with three, Matija Sladović with two, and one goal each from Dmitrij Holod, Jovan Vujović, and Martin Gardašević.

For the home team, Bukić led with five goals, while Jerko Marinić-Kragić added four, with Montenegrin representative Đuro Radović scoring on all three attempts.

The goalkeepers played a crucial role, with Mate Anić making 11 saves compared to Darko Đurović, who managed only three.

From Group C, both Split and Ferencvaroš, who continued their flawless season with a dominant win against Crveni Zvezda (20:6), will advance to the quarterfinals. In the final round in Belgrade, Novalja will face off against the local team to determine who finishes in 3rd place for an easier matchup in the Eurocup round of XNUMX.

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