Title-holders Astralpool CN Sabadell defeated hosts Olympiacos SFP in the first thrilling semi-final of the Champions League Women Final Four in Piraeus. Two late goals secured the Spaniards’ 13-15 win over the Greeks, which has presented them with a chance for a three-peat. Sabadell may become the second team in history to achieve that feat after Orizzonte’s great run between 2004 and 2006. In Friday’s second semi, CN Sant Andreu downed newcomers FTC Telekom Waterpolo 10-7 to ensure Saturday’s final is an all-Spanish affair.
2024/25 Champions League Women
Final Four, Semi-Finals
Friday, 2 May 2025
Olympiacos SFP (GRE) 13-15 Astralpool CN Sabadell (ESP)
CN Sant Andreu (ESP) 10-7 FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN)
Final Four, Finals
Saturday, 3 May 2025
(Local times shown)
16:30: Olympiacos SFP (GRE) v FTC Telekom Waterpolo (HUN) – Bronze Medal Game
18:30: Astralpool CN Sabadell (ESP) v CN Sant Andreu (ESP) – Gold Medal Game
Fully-packed stands and an electrifying atmosphere awaited the teams in the first semi-final in Piraeus. It was another highly-anticipated showdown between Europe’s top two women’s sides, Olympiacos SFP and Astralpool CN Sabadell, as apart from Kinef Kirishi’s back-to-back triumphs in 2017 and 2018, only these two teams have lifted the trophy since 2013.
Sabadell went all the way six times, while Olympiacos have emerged as winners three times. Their last clash happened a year ago, when Sabadell were on a roll and left no chance for the Greeks – so this game was a rematch of last year’s final.
For Olympiacos, it was the first chapter in their quest to make the club’s 100th anniversary a memorable one on behalf of the water polo team – since the men’s team sank unexpectedly in the Champions League, the women remained their only hope to reach the highest heights.
As the game began, both attacks stepped up right away, as six of the first eight possessions ended up with a goal. Sabadell jumped to a 1-3 lead, thanks to a couple of pinpoint finishes from Dutch leftie Simone van de Kraats and a penalty from Bea Ortiz, but Vasiliki Plevritou also fired in a penalty and a fine backhander from Maria Myriokefalitaki on 2m, plus a counter attacking goal from Stefania Santa made it 3-3.
Paula Leiton also hammered in a brilliant one from the centre at the other end, before the defences regained some ground to freeze the scoreboard for two and half minutes.
Aussie leftie Abby Andrews managed to swim away to equalise once more, and after Sabadell gave the ball away for the second time – with a way too long cross-pass – the Greeks had enough time to force a six on five and Santa sent the ball home to put Olympiacos ahead for the first time at 5-4, with 0:04 on the clock.
The second period started off in a similar manner, as the early minutes saw a flurry of goals. A deflected shot from Irene Gonzalez brought the title-holders back to even. Then Foteini Tricha netted a great one from action, but van de Kraats was also on target from a second attempt in an extra to make it 6-6.
After that, both defences got tighter, and tensions were also running high, so forced and unforced errors followed from the attackers.
Entering the last minute of the first half, Tricha arrowed in her shot nicely from a woman-up, but Maggie Steffens was also on target from the perimeter in the next possession. Still, the hosts retook the lead 15 seconds from time, as Vasiliki Plevritou converted another penalty for 8-7.
After two minutes of battling in the third, Rita Keszthelyi’s one-timer from the left wing levelled the scores, then Laura Aarts made a big save to deny Santa in a one-on-one, but she couldn’t put her hand on Myriokefalitaki’s next backhander after the corner.
Sabadell had to score twice to equalise for 9-9 – as a VAR review led to a red card for Sofia Tornarou for an earlier act of unnecessary roughness (though no 4min expulsion), but this annulled the Spaniard’s previous possession where they forced a penalty and scored. Their replayed attack then bore an extra and US star Steffens pushed the ball in from close range to finally make it 9-9 with 3:44 to go in the third.
The next twist came following a six on five for the hosts, as after a time-out, an early shot was blocked, then Sabadell, hunting down the rebound, went for a clean counter and Ortiz gave goalkeeper Mia Rycraw no chance.
Myriokefalitaki had an easy put-away in the next six on five, but Leiton forced another penalty, and Ortiz sent it home for 10-11.
It could have been all square, but Aarts denied the Greeks in a woman-down – and the title-holders may have led by two, but van de Kraats hit the bar in the dying seconds of their extra, played after a time-out.
Sabadell wasted another extra early in the fourth and they paid for it as Andrews’ pinpoint shot in Olympiacos’ next six on five was simply brilliant – so the scores stood at 11-11 instead of 10-12.
Another fine counter, this time finished off by van de Kraats, gave the lead back to Sabadell, but not for long as Santa found the back of the net from 7m.
The thrilling action continued, as another penalty for Sabadell, this time from a counter, saw van de Kraats send the ball home – her fifth hit of the night.
Andrews’ fierce shot during an extra levelled things up once more at 13-13, but Sabadell managed to score again despite their first shot being denied in their six on five – a smart assist from Keszthelyi to Tara Prentice for a close shot made it 13-14.
Van de Kraats made a crucial steal, then the title-holders’ patient play ended in another extra and a great set-up for Steffens resulted in a two-goal gap at 13-15, for the first time since 1-3.
The Greeks wasted their very last chance, as they gave the ball away in a six on four with 1:17 to go, so they failed to make the final at home again after 2022. Still, the crowd celebrated the team as if they had won the trophy – it was a really great moment after the match.
At the other end, the Sabadell players happily hugged each other as they advanced to the final for the fourth time in a row, and it’s going to be their 10th appearance in the last 12 editions.
Later, in the second semi-final, a quick-exchange of woman-up goals kicked off the action, with both coming from the same position at the top of the arc, by Greta Gurisatti, then by Elena Ruiz.
St Andreu goalkeeper Martina Terre came up with a big save in the next six on five, and a bit later Queralt Anton’s fine shot from the perimeter gave the Spaniards a 2-1 lead.
FTC’s stopper Boglarka Neszmely also joined the party with a penalty block, but she couldn’t do anything with Anton’s bouncer that followed.
Fradi were having problems in attack, as they couldn’t break through St Andreu’s zonal defence, plus they missed another extra. And the Ruiz siblings were making them pay for that, this time it was Ariadna’s turn to hit a one-timer.
A bit of bad luck also denied the Magyars, as they had a goal disallowed by an exclusion call – the referee waved sorry to the bench – and they missed their third six on five in a row to remain scoreless after netting the opener after 33 seconds.
There were more missed six on fives early in the second quarter, before Gurisatti found a hole under Terre’s arm to score from an extra, at the second attempt.
What wasn’t working in the opening period, now started to click for Fradi, as a couple of fine blocks denied the Spanish perimeter shots, while a good set-up, finished off by Eleftheria Plevritou reduced the gap to one at 4-3.
St Andreu missed a six on five and Fradi had an extra to go even, but a bad pass ruined their play and Elena Ruiz scored a nice one from the ensuing counter for 5-3.
With 53 seconds on the clock, the first action goal from FTC arrived, as Vanda Valyi’s sneaker made its way to the net. Still, there was time for more as Paula Camus delivered a penalty and Ariadna Ruiz converted that in the next possession, so St Andreu led 6-4 at half-time.
Great blocking killed six on fives at both ends early in the third, then Terre had a brilliant stop – as did Neszmely in the other goal. Six 6 on 5s saw no goals – three apiece – which was a bit more painful for FTC as the clock was ticking down and the Spaniards still led by two.
The seventh, from St Andreu, came after a time-out with two minutes remaining – a 2m violation spoiled it, but a turnover foul and extra created another chance for the Spaniards and Anton finally broke the ice with 1:26 to go.
Dora Leimeter gave some hope for the Hungarians, as she netted a woman-up with seven seconds to go – though only after they missed another one; so the Spaniards were still sitting in the driving seat at 7-5.
FTC were unable to create a clean shooting opportunity in their first extra in the fourth, and that came back to hurt them when Camus beat two defenders and the goalie from the centre to make it 8-5.
Gurisatti couldn’t beat Terre either – FTC were four from 15 in extras at this stage, which is definitely not game-winning stats.
A time-out gave the Hungarians a little boost, as Leimeter scored a great one from action, Neszmely then had a big save in a 6 on 4, followed by Valyi’s hit from a counter – so in a span of just 49 seconds, Fradi were back in the game at 8-7.
Anton’s 4th hit of the night came at a crucial moment for St Andreu. It was a great play during their extra, as it reset the two-goal gap with two minutes remaining. And some good defending killed the Magyars’ momentum, what’s more, another cold-headed finish from Alba Munoz for 10-7, closed down the contest as only 1:03 remained in the match.
St Andreu scored back-to-back extras when it mattered the most – the only way to win matches at this level. This sent them to the final to set-up another all-Spanish showdown after 2023 when Sabadell downed Mataro. Now, it’s St Andreu’s turn to challenge the mighty queens of Europe.
