The defeat to Hungary is not tragic in itself, it was not unrealistic to happen, but it significantly distanced the Montenegrin water polo team from reaching the semi-finals of the European Championship.
The "Sharks" are now in a situation where only four wins in as many matches (one more in the group, then three in the main round) guarantee them a place among the top four teams - they haven't been at that stage in major competitions for a long time. Not since January 2020, when they reached the bronze medal at the European Championship.
Montenegro had no chance against the Hungarians, everything except the first ten minutes was dominated by the greats who scored eight goals in a total of 10 shots in the first 16 minutes alone - when they had a four-goal lead.
It's clear that Dejan Savić's team didn't do their homework on defense, although as the match progressed, the attack became increasingly uncertain...
In the rest of the tournament, everything must be on a much more serious level, starting with tomorrow's match (18 pm) against the unlucky France, a team that is on a new start after the Paris Olympics, but with the obvious quality to cause damage to an opponent who underestimates it.
"We opened the match well against the Hungarians, but we also missed a lot of chances, which such an experienced opponent knew how to take advantage of. We could and should have done better in attacks with one more player, and we should have played smarter in defense," says Jovan Vujović.
The goal against France is clear.
"Three points would mean a lot to us. The French have rejuvenated the team, but they are led very well by Vjekoslav Kobešćak - they play with a lot of swimming and without a classic center, but I think that if we enter the match in the right way, there should be no problems," Vujović pointed out.
Montenegro is definitely the favorite.
"We have to prove that in the pool," added Jadran M:tela's center.
A triumph against the "tricolor" is a must, and a much harder task awaits our team when the main round group is formed - there they will face duels against Spain, Serbia and the Netherlands. And it is already clear that they must win them in order for the dream of reaching the semi-finals to become a reality.
"France is an aggressive team, we need to pay special attention to Tom Verneuil. I hope for the best outcome and I expect the fans to help us get three points," said one of the debutants, Srđan Janović.
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