Group A
Tuesday
18.30 FTC-Telekom Budapest (HUN) v AN Brescia (ITA)
Recent form:
FTC: WLLWW
Brescia: LWWWD
Last match
FTC: 16-5 v Zvezda (away)
Brescia: 8-8 v Barceloneta (away)

Zsolt Varga, head coach, FTC-Telekom:
“Brescia signed new players in the beginning of the season and became a really great team. Brescia is a very uncomfortable and hard opponent for every side this year.”

Soma Vogel, goalkeeper, FTC-Telekom:
“We are expecting a very hard game against Brescia. This is going to be our first tough game after a little break. We will try to give our best to win, we have the advantage because we play in Budapest. This victory would be a very big step to be in the Final Eight.”

Alessandro Bovo, head coach, Brescia:
“We must expect a very hard challenge: the Hungarians are in great condition, they’ve won a lot of titles in a short time and they’ve got a lot of self-confidence. Their line-up is amazing, with two top players such as Denes Varga and Marton Vamos, who can make the difference in every moment. However, I think we can reach a good result: obviously, it is necessary to offer a very high level performance.”

Wednesday
19.15 Dynamo Moscow (RUS) v Pro Recco (ITA)
Recent form:
Dynamo: LLWLW
Recco: WWWWW
Last match:
Dynamo: 16-4 v Steaua (home)
Recco: 17-7 v Eger (home)

Marat Zakirov, head coach, Dynamo:
“We expect worthy results from the coming games against a very strong team. The match will be very hard, but we tuned for a serious game and we have good mood inside our team and we expect great support from our home tribunes.”

Ivan Koptsev, player, Dynamo:
“We tune for a hard game. Pro Recco will be the favourite – this team is in the first place in our group, it has no defeat. This team also practically has no weakness. We will try to show our strengths and show good game. We have a great support team and this is one of our advantages.”

Ratko Rudic, coach, Pro Recco:
“Dynamo is a very well prepared team, with players who put a lot of physicality into the water. They have three Serbian players who bring experience, medals and quality. They are growing game after game, we will have to study them carefully to prepare well and face them to the best of our strength.”

Michael Bodegas, player, Pro Recco:
“We have just finished a week of intense training and we expect a hard match in Moscow. Dynamo is a great team, play physical water polo and has 80 per cent of Russian national team players with some Serbian champions. We have maximum respect for them. If I score, I’ll dedicate it to my son for his first birthday celebrated some days ago.”

19.15 Atletic Barceloneta (ESP) v Steaua Bucharest BA (ROU)
Recent form:
Barceloneta: WWWLD
Steaua: LLLWL
Last match:
Barceloneta: 8-8 v Brescia (home)
Steaua: 4-16 v Dynamo (away)

Chus Martin, head coach, Barceloneta:
“Having lost against Recco and then drawn with Brescia in our last match, we can’t afford losing this home game against Steaua if we want to retain our solid position in the classification. Steaua have just lost a match in Moscow with a twelve-goal difference but they’re still a team that we greatly respect, and our aim is to play well and get the three points.”

Dani Lopez, goalkeeper, Barceloneta:
“It’s always an honour to play in the Champions League and even more so at home. In this fixture we’re up against Steaua of Bucharest, a team that has already had a couple of years playing in the Champions League and has won all the Romanian championships (they just won the Romanian Cup). Regarding their players, we know they have a pretty balanced squad with some foreign talent as well as players from the Romanian selection. As always, we’ll have to produce our best water polo to get the three points.”

Alvaro Granados, player, Barceloneta:
“A really important match for two reasons: if we win we get to stay in second place in the group but also as it’s the last game of the first round so we want to go out on a high. In my view we’re the superior team but that said a good start to the match is going to be crucial if we want to come away with those three points.”

Iosep Andrei, head coach, Steaua:
“We will meet a very strong team, a contender to win the Champions League this season. We will try to show a different face than we had in Moscow.”

Andrei Prioteasa, player, Steaua
“We are going to play with one of the teams that can win this competition. It will be a hard game but we want to give our best and learn something from each game that we play with these teams. I hope that we will make a good game and give everything we can.”

20.30 Crvena Zvezda (SRB) v ZF Eger (HUN)
Recent form:
Zvezda: LLLLL
Eger: WWLLL
Last match:
Zvezda: 6-15 v FTC (home)
Eger: 7-17 v Recco (away)

Aleksandar Filipovic, coach, Zvezda:
“Eger is a very strong team, and the game will certainly be really tough. If we want to have a chance in the game we will have to repeat some of our best performances. We have practiced really hard and we will do our best. If we play an organised game in an orderly way, we can achieve a good result.”

Dusan Vasic, player, Zvezda:
“Eger is a good team with some really brilliant players. Still, we will fight hard, try to do good defence and put big pressure on them. We are a young team, but we learn from our mistakes and work hard. We certainly hope to win this game.”

Norbert Dabrowski, head coach, Eger:
“The match against VK Crvena Zvezda is important for us. In the Regional League, they won against Jug Dubrovnik, so it won’t be easy to play against them, but our goal is to win.”

Boldizsar Csiszar, goalkeeper, Eger:
“First of all we have to win against VK Crvena Zvezda. They are a strong team, but our dream is the Final8, so the goal is to get three points.”

Daniel Santa, player, Eger:
“We know that this match will be quite hard for us. To play in Belgrade is always difficult. Zvezda has a young team, they are really energetic. We have to be patient. We would like to be in the Final8 anyway.”

Group B
19.00 Szolnoki Dozsa (HUN) v Mladost Zagreb (CRO)
Recent form:
Szolnok: LLDDD
Mladost: WWLDL
Last match:
Szolnok: 10-10 v Hannover (home)
Mladost: 11-14 v Jug (away)

Zivko Gocic, head coach, Szolnok:
“Wednesday evening we are going to have a match between two teams with great identical skills and knowledge. Mladost is a well-built team, with talented young players and with valuable experienced players like Buljubasic, Petkovic, Milos Cuk and Radu. It will be a tough game, but we will have to win if we want to accomplish our plan to qualify for the next round. We have been working hard recently, as usual, and we are ready for the match.”

David Jansik, player, Szolnok:
“We have been playing a tie in the past three games, now it is time to win. We are quite acquainted with the Croatian team, as we have been in a training camp with them in autumn. We have learned that Mladost is a strong team with charismatic players. One thing is for sure, it would be rewarding for our confidence if we could beat them.”

Zoran Bajic, coach, Mladost:
“I am sure that the game with Szolnok will be hard for them and us too. For us it is important that not to fail in Szolnok even as a guest and start to recover those points we lost in Berlin and Hannover. Thus we can set up a match with Sport Management which will determine who will go to the Final 8. We are looking forward for a good game and hope that we will come back home with three points.”

Antonio Petkovic, player, Mladost:
“We have a very important match ahead of us if we want to be part of the Final 8. Szolnok is a great team with few very good individuals. Prlainovic is the main engine of the team, Nagy is great goalkeeper, had a good defender Aleksic and a good left handed player Zalanki. We are sure they feel the pressure as they have to win if they want to keep their chances of going to Hannover for the Final 8. With good defence and by stopping their best players we have good chances to win this match.”

19.00 Spandau 04 (GER) v Waspo 98 Hannover (GER)
Recent form:
Spandau: LLDWL
Hannover: DLLLD
Last match:
Spandau: 6-8 v BPM (away)
Hannover: 10-10 v Szolnok (away)

Karsten Seehafer, head coach, Hannover:
“Against Spandau it is always possible to go down, but it doesn’t have to end this way on Wednesday. Maybe Spandau has a different strategy compared to the games before, but we are able to react and to play our match. Unlike in the Szolnok game, all players are in very good physical condition and the morale of the team is also very good. That is why we are prepared to go for three points. “

Erik Bukowski, player, Hannover:
“With the games against Spandau the hot phase begins for the teams chasing the Final8. Waspo 98 must strive for a consistent performance in the CL and gain the first victories of the season. With a positive development, we are a challenge for any team at the Final8.”

Tobias Preuss, player, Hannover:
“I expect a challenging game. Spandau is strong and last time we had a hard time. But I really hope that this time we will play convincingly from the beginning and finally get a deserved victory. I’m in good spirits!”

20.30 BPM Sport Management Busto (ITA) v Jadran Split (CRO)
Recent form:
BPM: WWLDW
Jadran: LLWLL
Last match:
BPM: 8-6 v Spandau (home)
Jadran: 7-13 v Olympiacos (away)

Marco Baldineti, head coach, Banco BPM Sport Management:
“I have seen their matches (Jadran Split), it’s a team that plays well and certainly not a team to be underestimated, but rather one to be taken into high consideration. This is a clever team which for sure will be a very difficult opponent for us and we hope to be able to earn home the same results like we’ve done already this year. They have a lot of good players including Aljosa Kunac who was with me in the team when I trained at Nervi.”

Giuseppe Valentino, player, Banco BPM Sport Management:
“We have already been thinking on Wednesday for a while and about the importance of the upcoming match. This week we have been training a lot, we have to improve in defence and reduce the number of possible mistakes. We have seen a lot of videos to prepare in a better way for the match against Jadran Split, and I’m convinced that the team will do its best on Wednesday and will try to bring home another victory.”

Ivan Asic, coach, Jadran Split:
“We are going to give our best shot against the Italian team. They are one of the strongest teams in Europe and they are favourites in this match. My players did a good job to beat POSK 17-7 in the Regional League and we feel we can play good match against anyone. We are going to drive to Italy, it’s always exhausting to be on the road, but we are used to it.”

Ivo Bego, player, Jadran Split:
“Unfortunately I got injured and I won’t be able to play. I pooled arm muscles and I need to take a longer break. My team players are in good form and they can do some damage to BPM Sports Management.”

20.30 Jug CO Dubrovnik (CRO) v Olympiacos Piraeus (GRE)
Recent form:
Jug: WWWWW
Olympiacos: DWWDW
Last match:
Jug: 14-11 v Mladost (home)
Olympiacos: 13-7 v Jadran (home)

Vjekoslav Kobescak, head coach, Jug:
“Although we have six wins after six rounds, our next opponent will show us how strong we really are since the European Champion is coming. We are not misled by their slow start in this edition of the Champions League, they still have enough depth in their team to repeat last year success. Whatsoever, they even made good adjustments in team. So I see them among the three top contenders for winning a trophy again. Every point against them would be precious.”

Alex Papanastasiou, player, Jug:
“Olympiacos is a very strong team and currently they are the European Champions. So we are prepared for two very difficult games that probably will be definitive for the ranking at the top of the group. Our goal is to continue the good appearances in the Champions League and keep being undefeated in the group.”

Theodoros Vlachos, head coach, Olympiacos:
“The game against Jug in Dubrovnik is very important for us. We know that it will be very difficult in their home where Jug is unbeatable at the moment, but if we play according to our potential we can have a good result this time. This is the last game of the first round and we know that the following games will be very important for the qualification, just like this one.”

Konstantinos Mourikis, player, Olympiacos:
“We didn’t have the start we wanted because of the problems with our pool. But now I think we are on a good level. We go to Dubrovnik as European Champions and we have to show that there. If we’ll manage to win or not to lose, maybe we will see changes in the first place of the group. Jug is a very good team. We have to be serious and concentrate. For sure it will be a great game between two very strong teams.”

22 January 2019

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