Jadran Herceg Novi Stuns Red Star Belgrade in Champions League Upset
BELGRADE, Serbia – Jadran Herceg Novi delivered a stunning 11-9 victory over Red Star Belgrade in a Champions League Men’s water polo clash on Tuesday, marking a significant upset in Group B. The montenegrin side overcame a opposed habitat and a strong Red Star team to secure a crucial win in the battle for playoff contention.
The result is a major boost for jadran’s hopes of advancing from the group stage, while simultaneously dealing a blow to Red Star’s ambitions.Both teams entered the match with identical records, making this a pivotal contest with implications for the final standings. Jadran’s win demonstrates their potential to challenge the top teams in the competition and adds further intrigue to a tightly contested group.
Jadran established an early lead, going up 4-2 in the first quarter.Red Star responded in the second, narrowing the gap to 5-4 by halftime. The third quarter saw a back-and-forth battle,with both teams trading goals,but Jadran maintained a slender advantage,leading 8-7 heading into the final period.
A strong defensive performance in the fourth quarter allowed Jadran to control the tempo and extend their lead. Despite a late push from Red Star,Jadran held on for the 11-9 victory.
Nikola Gardašević led the scoring for jadran with four goals, while Vasilije Radović added three. For Red Star, Miloš Ćuk and Stefan Mitović each scored twice.
Jadran’s coach, Vladimir Gojković, praised his team’s resilience and tactical execution. “This was a very critically important win for us, especially playing away against a strong opponent like Red Star,” he said. “The players showed great character and followed the game plan perfectly.”
The win places Jadran in a strong position in Group B, alongside FTC-Telekom budapest and Brescia. Red Star will need to regroup quickly as they face further challenging matches in the coming weeks.
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Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics
