Astralpool CN Sabadell is the absolute owner of the Champions League. In a dream final at the Nova Escullera in Barcelona between the two giants of women's water polo, the Vallesan players surpassed Olympiacos (16-10) to win their seventh continental crown in their 10th final in 13 participations in the final four . An effectiveness within the reach of very few teams in any discipline.
The players coached by David Palma demonstrated that unique competitive gene, that insatiable appetite that they have had in the Champions League since 2011, which the new generations of Irene González, Irene Casado and Sofia Giustini have inherited (the best in the final, with 5 goals ), of the veterans Maica García, Laura Ester, Mati Ortiz and Judith Forca, the four players who have won the seven crowns.
With this seventh title, second in a row, CN Sabadell is just one title away from Orizzonte Catania, the top champion of women's club water polo.
The final began with both teams thrown into an open grave. Sabadell opened the fire at 2:03 with a goal from the very young Italian Sofia Giustini in superiority. The advantage made David Palma's team lay siege to Stamatopoulou's goal, which became the best of the Greeks with seven saves in the first quarter. The international goalkeeper stopped a penalty against Bea Ortiz that could have meant a first growth spurt, but Rubí's goalkeeper made a strange, chopped shot.
From a possible 2-0 it went to 2-1 for Christina Siouti with 1m05s left until the horn. Luckily for Sabadell, Irene Casado, all self-confident, reacted quickly with a powerful shot that hit the base of the post that made it 2-1 with 41 seconds remaining.
The second quarter could not have started worse for Sabadell, as they conceded two consecutive goals, from Vasiliki Plevritou at 51 seconds, and from Myriokefalitaki at 2 minutes when gaining position at the buoy.
Sabadell's reaction was furious, a championship reaction: they scored four goals in a row in a minute and a half of madness, first Giustini assisted by Bea Ortiz, then Maica García from the buoy after receiving the pass from Mati Ortiz, and the 5-3 and Judith Forca's 6-3. Sabadell had put the title on track with a brutal 4-0, which put them 3 goals ahead.
A lead that was able to be maintained before the break with the first goal from Irene González (7-4), replicating Tricha's a few seconds earlier. A huge 5-3 run in the fourth.
With three goals ahead at half-time, the seventh crown began to come into view. But Olympiacos was not going to make it easy. Their reappearance in the pool was intimidating with two goals in a minute and a half that made it 7-6: Vasiliki Plevritou scored after 48 seconds and Chyridioti nailed a missile in the next attack to put the Greeks within just one goal.
Faced with the threat, Sabadell reacted like a gale: a 6-1 that finished off the final. She found air with her pair of scorers, Giustini and Irene González, authors of the three goals that returned the 3 with 10-7. The Catalan scored two more goals, 10-7 with a beautiful Vaseline, and then forced a penalty that Sabrina Van der Sloot converted to take the Vallesanas back to 4 goals (11-7). But the party didn't end there. Sofia Giustini and Maica García raised the score to 6 (13-7) to reach the last quarter with their homework done.
In the final 8 minutes, Sabadell only rounded off the scoring festival with goals from Van der Sloot from a penalty, Giustini and Bea Ortiz, who contributed her goal in a historic final.
Sant Andreu won the Champions League 2024 bronze by beating Assolim CN Mataró 8-7 in the consolation final.
