Courtesy: LEN Media
Spain, Hungary and France will have two teams apiece in the next round, with Italy and Croatia adding one representative respectively. On a telling note, just like in the Champions League, no Serbian team survived this weekend.
Final rankings
Group A (Split): 1. CE Mediterrani (ESP) 9, 2. CN Mataro (ESP) 6, 3. Mornar Brodospas (CRO) 3, 4. AZSC Antwerp (BEL) 0
Group B (Eger): 1. ZF Eger (HUN) 9, 2. Solaris Sibenik (CRO) 6, 3. VK Radnicki (SRB) 3, 4. Shturm 2002 Ruza (RUS) 0
Group C (Valletta): 1. MVLC Miskolc (HUN) 9, 2. CN Noisy Le Sec (FRA) 6, 3. CN Posillipo Napoli (ITA) 3, 4. Valletta (MLT) 0
Group D (Siracusa): 1. Montpellier WP (FRA) 9, 2. CC Ortigia (ITA) 6, 3. Partizan Belgrade (SRB) 3, 4. Apoel Larnaca (CYP) 0
As it was foreseen, both Hungarian sides advanced with ease, Eger netted 44 goals, Miskolc stopped at 47 while cruising to the following round. In Eger, Sibenik managed to edge out Radnicki 9-8 in the decisive match, the winner came 76 seconds from time and that sent the Croats through while sealed the sad note that all Serbian clubs fell this weekend. Radnicki was the closest to go through while Partizan didn’t have a real chance in Group D and Zvezda and Sabac finished bottom in the Champions League qualification (most if not all the quality Serbian players chose to play for foreign clubs in recent years).
Despite playing at home, the other Croatian club Mornar couldn’t make the cut, as lost to both Spanish sides, Mediterrani and Mataro.
French clubs enjoyed a fine weekend, Montpellier finished atop in Group D by beating Ortigia 9-8 for the first place. In Group C the French-Italian battle went for the second qualifying spot and Noisy downed Posillipo with surprising ease (13-7) to go through.
The draw of the second round will be held on Tuesday in Nyon, at the LEN Office, where two first ranked and two second ranked clubs shall be drawn together while creating two groups of four.
For detailed statistics, play-by-play description please visit our dedicated website.