AWL

Ljubljana Slovan Win the Derby Against Opatija

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At the final regular-season tournament of the Alpe Waterpolo League, held at the Kantrida pool in Rijeka, Ljubljana Slovan defeated hosts Opatija in the decisive match for second place. Triglav Kranj convincingly beat Koper, Medveščak overcame Delfin Rovinj after a penalty shootout, and ASV Ströck Wien edged Jadran Kostrena, also on penalties. In the last match of Saturday’s schedule, Mladost Zagreb handed league leaders Branik Maribor their first regular-season defeat.

On Sunday, the rescheduled match between Opatija and Ströck Wien will take place, a game particularly crucial for the Austrian side. If the Viennese team wins, they will join Branik Maribor, Ljubljana Slovan, Mladost Zagreb, Opatija, and Triglav Kranj at the Final Tournament, which will be held from March 6 to 8.

Delfin Rovinj – Medveščak Zagreb 16:17 (3:3, 2:2, 3:5, 5:3; 3:4 after penalties)

Although both teams had long been out of contention for a Final Tournament berth, the match was anything but dull. With the win, Medveščak drew level with Koper in eighth place, while Delfin will finish the season in tenth.

The game was evenly matched throughout. Zagreb first went two goals up midway through the second quarter (5:3), but Delfin equalized at the buzzer. The Rovinj side regained a narrow lead late in the third period (8:7), yet Medveščak entered the final quarter ahead by two. Despite holding a three-goal advantage early in the fourth (11:8), Zagreb allowed Delfin to rally and take a 13:12 lead. Sever equalized with 52 seconds remaining, and with no further goals in regulation, the winner was decided by penalties, where Medveščak proved more composed.

Koper-Hanna – Triglav Kranj 8:25 (2:8, 1:5, 2:7, 3:5)

After narrowly defeating Koper on penalties in a domestic league match on Thursday, Triglav had a much easier task in Rijeka. The undermanned Koper side trailed by six after the first quarter, and the game was effectively decided before halftime, when Aljaž Troppan made it 13:3.

Triglav finished the regular season in fifth place and will face the fourth-placed team in Friday’s quarterfinal at the Final Tournament. Koper are currently ninth, though Medveščak still have a game in hand against Calcit Water Polo.

Ströck Wien – Jadran Kostrena 14:13 (2:1, 3:3, 1:2, 4:4; 4:3 after penalties)

In a crucial clash for sixth place and a Final Tournament berth, Ströck Wien prevailed after a dramatic penalty shootout, with Luka Stefanović converting in the sixth round to seal the win.

Vienna led narrowly after the first quarter and held a 4:2 advantage in the second before Jadran’s top scorer Roko Vuković tied the game at 4:4. The sides remained evenly matched, and Kostrena appeared closer to victory late in regulation, leading 10:8 with 1:27 to play. However, Luka Šečerović scored twice to force penalties, where the Viennese side held their nerve.

Ströck’s qualification fate will be decided on Sunday against Opatija. A win sends them to Maribor; a loss means Jadran advance instead.

Ljubljana Slovan – Opatija 17:12 (4:4, 5:5, 5:1, 3:2)

After missing a big opportunity on Thursday to secure second place outright, Ljubljana Slovan made amends in Rijeka. Even without injured Jure Beton and suspended Branko Kirasič, they dominated the third quarter to break Opatija’s resistance.

The first half was evenly contested, though Slovan briefly led by two in the second quarter (8:6). Opatija equalized before halftime, but Ljubljana’s defense tightened in the third period while their attack flourished, with goals from Marcel Lipnik, Jaka Klobučar, Enej Potočnik, Anže Povhe, and Petrović. Early in the fourth, Slovan extended the lead to 16:10, comfortably closing out the match to secure second place in the regular season.

Mladost Zagreb – Branik Maribor 18:14 (3:2, 6:4, 4:4, 5:4)

Branik had already secured first place before the final tournament weekend and traveled to Rijeka without several key players. Mladost took full advantage. They surged to a 3:0 lead early on and built a 9:5 cushion by halftime.

Maribor twice cut the deficit to one goal in the final quarter (12:13 and 13:14), but Mladost responded with a decisive 3:0 run to pull away at 17:13, becoming the only team this season to defeat Branik in regular Alpe Waterpolo League play.

Standings

  1. Branik Maribor – 30

  2. Ljubljana Slovan – 27

  3. Mladost Zagreb – 26

  4. Opatija – 24

  5. Triglav Kranj – 23

  6. Ströck Wien – 20

  7. Kostrena – 18

  8. Koper-Hanna – 9

  9. Medveščak – 8

  10. Delfin – 7

  11. Calcit Water Polo – 3

  12. Torpedo – 0

Author Miha Štamcar
Photo Aleksander Sokler

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