The first quarter-final match saw intense drama between Montenegro and Greece, but the subsequent match delivered even more excitement as Serbia triumphed over Italy with a score of 15:14 after five minutes of penalty shootouts, ending regular time at 11:11.

Luka Damonte became the tragic figure for Italy in the “penalty-roulette,” while Serbia sang praises for the exceptional goalkeeper Branislav Mitrović and the resolute shooter of the winning penalty, Strahinja Rašović.

Serbia will advance to the semi-finals against Greece, whereas Italy will face Montenegro in the play-off for places 5 to 8. For Alessandro Kampanje’s squad, this match holds little significance as they’ve already secured their spot at next year’s World Cup in Doha.

Serbia initially led 2:0, but Italy quickly turned it around to 3:2, after which the teams traded goals for the duration of the game.

Although “Setebelo” would gain the upper hand, the “dolphins” consistently fought back, culminating in a final score of 11:11. Serbia, after its previous victory over Montenegro in Fukuoka, displayed remarkable composure in their match against Italy.

In addition to converting the decisive penalty, Strahinja Rašović stood out with three goals, contributing for a solid 32 minutes. Both Nikola Jakšić and Radomir Drašović found the net twice, while Đorđe Lazić, Vasilije Martinović, Đorđe Vučinić, and Nemanja Ubović each scored once. On Italy’s side, Francesco Di Fulvio led with three goals, while Giacomo Canelja, Lorenzo Bruni, and Di Soma each netted two, with Nikola Presuti and Alessandro Veloto adding one goal each.

The play-off match for positions 5 to 8 between Montenegro and Italy is scheduled for Thursday at 7 PM local time.

SP FUKUOKA

Quarterfinals

Greece – Montenegro 10:9

Italy – Serbia 14:15 (after the penalty shootout)

11:00 AM Hungary – USA

12:30 PM Spain – France

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