Apollon Smyrnis wins penalty shootout against Terasa in Euro Cup opener

Apollon Smyrnis began their Euro Cup men's water polo campaign in Group C with a 17-15 penalty shootout victory over Spain's Terasa. The match, held at the Serafeio swimming pool, saw the Greek side struggle with scoring efficiency despite an offensive reputation.

After Terasa took an 8-5 lead following an eight-and-a-half minute scoring drought by Apollon, Hans Doumpé helped spark a comeback with consecutive goals. Albert Sabantel also contributed significantly to the effort. Doumpé scored a crucial goal in the final seconds of regulation time to equalize the match at 12-12, forcing the shootout.

Apollon Smyrnis secured the win through successful penalty executions by Doumpé, Gardikas, Bogdanović, Kapotsis, and Kechalaris. Terasa's Ten Broek missed the decisive shot, hitting the post. Apollon Smyrnis will next travel to Georgia to face A-Polo Management, following Barcelona's narrow 18-17 victory over the Georgian champions.