How did the Croatia - Greece match end at the U20 European Championship?

Greece defeated Croatia 16:14 (5:3, 4:6, 2:4, 3:3) in the third match of Group A.

Who is Croatia's next opponent?

Croatia will play Turkey in the round of 16, and if they win, they will face Spain in the quarterfinals.

Who was the most effective player for Croatia?

Dragošević and Skejić each scored three goals, while Batoš had eight saves and one goal.

What did assistant coach Igor Računica say after the defeat?

Računica said they didn't expect the loss, that it was very painful, and that the team was 'thin' with many mistakes in the outside line.

Water Polo

A Heavy Blow for the Young Barracudas: Greece Defeats Them in the Final Stretch

V.P. · Prije 4h | 2 min

Croatia's U20 national team was defeated by Greece 16:14 in the decisive Group A match of the European Championship in Varna, dropping them to last place and forcing them to seek a path to the quarterfinals through the round of 16 against Turkey.

Summary

Greece defeated Croatia 16:14 in the decisive Group A match of the U20 European Championship in Varna.
Croatia finished last in the group with one win and two losses.
In the round of 16, Croatia will face Turkey, with a potential quarterfinal against Spain.
Skejić and Dragošević each scored three goals, while Batoš made eight saves and scored one goal.

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Croatia's young water polo team under 20 years old suffered a heavy defeat in the third match of Group A at the European Championship in Varna, Bulgaria. Greece celebrated a 16:14 victory at the Julian Rusev swimming pool in front of 600 spectators, leaving Croatia at the bottom of the group with one win and two losses.

Promising Start, Then a Greek Comeback

Croatia opened the match brilliantly and led 5:3 after the first quarter. Early in the second period, they extended the lead to 6:3, but the Greeks quickly fought back, and the teams went into halftime tied at 9:9. Greece won the third quarter 4:2 and entered the final eight minutes with a 13:11 lead, which they never relinquished.

Skejić Brings Hope, But It Wasn't Enough

When Greece took a 13:10 lead in the 21st minute, Skejić caught fire with three consecutive goals, bringing Croatia to 13:14. However, in the final moments, Skejić failed to convert a man-up opportunity, and Croatia, playing without a goalkeeper, conceded a goal for 13:16. The final score of 14:16 was set by center Dragošević, who finished the match with three goals.

Statistics Reveal Problems in the Outside Line

Croatia converted 7 of 17 man-up situations (41 percent), while Greece was slightly more accurate with 7 of 15 (46 percent). Goalkeeper Batoš made eight saves and scored a goal from goal to goal to tie the match at 9:9 just before halftime. Greek goalkeeper Giannopoulos made nine saves. Croatia committed 18 personal fouls, while Greece had 22.

Računica: 'A Loss That Is Very Painful'

Assistant coach Igor Računica did not hide his disappointment after the match. "We didn't expect this, a loss that is very painful and that left us last in the group with many mistakes in the outside line. We're fourth in the group and will face Turkey, it seems, and then, with a win of course, we'd play Spain in the quarterfinals," Računica told Sportske novosti.

Croatia will play Turkey in the round of 16, and if they win, they would face Spain in the quarterfinals. If Croatia had advanced as third from the group, the path would have led through France or Bulgaria, and then Serbia in the quarterfinals.