There will be no Catalan final to play for the European throne of women’s water polo, like last year. Olympiacos spoiled the entire party at CN Barcelona’s Nova Escullera by beating CN Mataró by a resounding 16-12 in the second semi-final of the final four.
So the Greeks will challenge the Astralpool CN Sabadell on their way to the seventh Champions of the Vallesanas, who in the first semi-final officially beat the newcomer Sant Andreu by 13-9.
It will be the fourth Champions League final between Olympiacos and Sabadell, at the moment with a 2-1 advantage for the Greeks. The last precedent was in 2022 in Piraeus, an 11-7 for the Hellenic team.
The second semi-final at the Nova Escullera of the CN Barcelona got off to an electric start, in similar terms as the first between Sabadell and Sant Andreu. Olympiacos struck first with a penalty goal from Nikoleta Eleftheriadou, but Mataró also equalized with a penalty through Simone van de Kraats. The Greek team’s response was Vasiliki Plevritou, who made it 2-1, but in less than half a minute Van de Kraats tied it 2-2 at the near post after a pass from Silvia Morell with 55 seconds left until the horn.
The Maresme team started the second quarter well with a great goal from Cristina Nogué, who put a long shot into the top corner that meant 2-3. Mataró’s first advantage did not last long because Christina Siouti made it 3-3 and immediately after, after a good combination moving the ball, Nikoleta Eleftheriadou established the 4-3 by breaking Dani Ballart’s M defense.
Mataró was lucky for its Dutch goalkeeper Laura Aarts, who avoided a greater advantage for the Greeks. And what is a high-profile duel, after avoiding 5-3, Mataró nailed the 4-4 and shot to 4-6 with three dizzying goals. Queralt Bertran scored assisted by Anni Espar, Anni herself, and the Hungarian Rita Keszthelyi. Siouti cut back to 5-6 and Aarts avoided the tie three times with shots from Eleftheriadou, Margarita Plevritou and Myriokefalitaki in the last 44 crazy seconds.
At the start of the third period the Greek goal ended up falling. It was Chydirioti who forced the tie at 6. The duel began in an incessant exchange of blows: Queralt Bertran made it 6-7, Nikoleta tied at 7, Keszthelyi once again gave Mataró the advantage with the 7-8, and again Nikoleta led equality (8-8). A penalty from Silvia Avegno was converted by the Greek number 4 player with her fifth goal (third in a row) at 9-8.
The Mataró disaster was forged in the final stretch of the third quarter with Tricha’s 10-8 and Plevritou’s 11-8 that took the set to a blushing 6-2 and left the Catalan team very shaken. The Maresmense defense was leaking and as soon as Aarts stopped stopping, Mataró collapsed.
In the last quarter, Mataró took hope with Rita Keszthelyi’s early goal (11-9), but soon saw that it was impossible to turn the game around with Eleftheriadou’s 12-9, distraught with her sixth goal. Chydirioti’s 13-9 and Eleftheriadou’s 14-9 – his seventh goal – ended up destroying Mataró. Cristina Nogué made it 14-10, Siouti finished with 15-10, Van de Kraats made it 15-11, Eleftheria Plevriatou scored 16-11 and Sevenich closed with 16-12.
