Croatia denied bronze by Montenegro at European water polo champs

(Photo: HVS)

BUDAPEST, 26 January 2020 – Croatia has missed out on the bronze medal at the 2020 Men’s European Water Polo Championship after being defeated by Montenegro in Budapest on Sunday. 

Montenegro would come from behind to win the bronze medal match 10 – 9 (1 – 3, 2 – 4, 4 – 1, 3 – 1).

Maro Jokovic got Croatia off to the perfect start by scoring the first two goals in the match to make it 2-0. Montenegro pulled one back before Milos Vukicevic scored to give Croatia a 3-1 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

(Photo: HVS)

Croatia stretched their lead to four goals in the second quarter thanks to Luka Bukic and Loren Fatovic. Montenegro managed to narrow the lead to just one goal as Croatia went into the last quarter leading 8-7. 

(Photo: HVS)

Fatovic, with his second goal of the match, gave Croatia an important two-goal lead early in the final quarter before Montenegro’s comeback begun. They would score two unanswered goals towards the end to win the 3rd/4th playoff.

Croatia recorded wins against Germany (17-9), Montenegro (11-10) and Slovakia (16-4) before beating Greece (14-11) in the quarter-finals. Their only other loss at the tournament came against Spain (9-8) in the semi-final.