Euro Cup Women: BVSC, Catalunya, Trieste and CNAB pass quarterfinal tests to reach last four

The runners-up from the past two seasons, Pallanuoto Trieste, survived an early scare against Ethnikos OFPF to book their place in the semifinals of the women’s Euro Cup on Saturday. Elsewhere, EPlus CN Catalunya were also celebrating after edging past ANC Glyfada iRepair, Zodiac CNAB produced a late surge to sink Polar Bears, and BVSC dominated their clash with Antenore Plebiscito Padova.

2025/26 Euro Cup Women
Quarterfinals, Leg 2
Saturday 28 March
(Aggregate scores)

EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) 12-11 ANC Glyfada iRepair (GRE) (20-19)
BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) 13-8 Antenore Plebiscito Padova (ITA) (24-17)
Polar Bears (NED) 12-13 Zodiac CNAB (ESP) (21-23)
Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) 10-8 Ethnikos OFPF (GRE) (19-16)

Semifinals
(Leg 1 – 11th April, Leg 2 – 16th May)

EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) v BVSC Manna ABC (HUN)
Zodiac CNAB (ESP) v Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA)

EPlus CN Catalunya (ESP) 12-11 ANC Glyfada iRepair (GRE) (20-19) (3-2, 3-5, 3-1, 3-3)

EPlus CN Catalunya edged a dramatic clash with ANC Glyfada iRepair (12-11), sealing their place in the semifinals after a fiercely contested encounter that remained in the balance until the final seconds.

With the first leg in Greece ending level, the return fixture unfolded on a knife-edge from the outset.

Catalunya struck first, as New Zealand star Emmerson Houghton found the net twice in quick succession to give the hosts a 3-1 advantage midway through the opening quarter.

Glyfada responded strongly, drawing level before exchanging goals at the start of a tightly fought second period.

The visitors then seized the initiative with a decisive 0-3 run, opening up a 5-7 lead with just over a minute remaining before the long break.

Georgina Bellido reduced the deficit 29 seconds before half-time to keep Catalunya within touching distance.

The momentum shifted after the restart, as Glyfada’s attack stalled, and Catalunya capitalised with four unanswered goals spanning the end of the second and the third periods, turning the contest around to lead 9-7 with nine seconds left in the quarter.

Alexandra Kalaitzi eventually halted a lengthy 9:19 scoring drought for the visitors, narrowing the gap to one heading into the final period.

Lily Turner brought Glyfada level early in the fourth with a powerful long-range effort, and the tension intensified as both sides battled for control in the closing stages.

A penalty goal from Houghton restored Catalunya’s lead with just under five minutes to play, only for Thomais Moustakaria to respond and make it level once more.

The decisive moment followed soon after. Catalunya struck twice in quick succession – Houghton hitting her sixth goal of the afternoon and Toula Falvey adding one from centre – to open up a crucial two-goal cushion.

WIth just 1:21 left to play, Glyfada missed a six-on-five, then Turner’s second 6m blast came far too late, with only one second to go, as the Spaniards successfully secured their place in the semifinals.

BVSC Manna ABC (HUN) 13-8 Antenore Plebiscito Padova (ITA) (24-17) (4-2, 4-1, 2-2, 3-3)

BVSC Manna ABC were never in danger of relinquishing their two-goal lead from the first leg against Antenore Plebiscito Padova.

After eight minutes of the second leg, their aggregate advantage had doubled, which left the Italians with a real mountain to climb, and by half-time the Hungarians were 8-3 up on the afternoon and seven clear overall.

It was an explosive start from the hosts, as they simply blew their opponents away with a series of clinical strikes and some outstanding defending.

When BVSC’s Zoe Lendvay struck first in the third, to stretch their lead to six (9-3), there was no way back for Padova.

The gap remained at five at the end of the third and fourth, as the Hungarians eased through to the semifinals with another commanding display.

Lendvay led the charge for BVSC with five goals, while Pien Gorter hit three, Dorina Dobi fired in twice, and Anna Mucsy, Laura Nagy and captain Dalma Domsodi scored one each.

Polar Bears (NED) 12-13 Zodiac CNAB (ESP) (21-23) (2-3, 3-2, 4-2, 3-6)

Zodiac CNAB’s fairy-tale-like debut European campaign continues after they staged a remarkable late fightback to sink Polar Bears in Ede.

After edging the home leg 10-9, CNAB were fully expecting a tough away challenge, but they started brightly and established a 2-5 lead early in the second quarter.

This sparked the hosts into action, though, and a 5-0 surge turned the game – and tie – around, as the Dutch led 7-5 midway through the third.

CNAB kept fighting and reduced the deficit to just one (9-8) at the start of the fourth, but Aniek Roekevisch and Linde Haksteen struck to put Polar Bears three clear (11-8) with 5:34 remaining.

Chus Martin’s team still believed and refused to lie down, hitting the next four goals without reply to sensationally regain the lead (11-12), before Jill Oort equalised from a six-on-five with just 50 seconds on the clock.

Tensions were rising, but the Dutch couldn’t find a late winner, and instead – after a time-out – Clara Diaz converted on extra to send the Spaniards home happy and victorious.

Pallanuoto Trieste (ITA) 10-8 Ethnikos OFPF (GRE) (19-16) (1-3, 4-1, 2-2, 3-2)

Pallanuoto Trieste – who led by one after the first leg – recovered from a slow start in the return fixture to beat Ethnikos OFPF and reach the semifinals of the Euro Cup for a third successive season.

A 0-3 opening from the Greeks rocked the hosts, and the gap remained at three early in the second quarter (1-4), but Trieste sparked into life and fired in five unanswered goals to wrestle back control of the tie.

Leading 6-4 in the third, Trieste gave away a penalty and Stamatina Kontogianni converted it to halt the Italians’ momentum, and Androniki Karagianni equalised to keep the visitors in contention.

An Emma De March penalty edged Trieste back in front 17 seconds before the penultimate break, and when she struck first in the fourth, it looked as if the runners-up from the past two seasons were going to close out the game comfortably.

However, Eleni Kanetidou and Anna Mamoglou both scored on extra to level the score on the night (8-8) and set up a nervy final two and a half minutes.

After a Trieste time-out, calm heads were needed and captain Lucrezia Cergol stepped up when it mattered most by finishing off their next six-on-five, and any doubts about their progression vanished when Morgan McDowall fired in on action to wrap up the scoring with 26 seconds on the clock.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics

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