Croatian Derby Highlights Action-Packed Round

2026-27 WABA League

Group A

Wednesday, October 28

Studio Zagreb-Sibenik 16.15 CET (Zagreb/Bosko Bozic Pepsi)   LIVE STATS   LIVE STREAM

This matchup marks a rare and historic regional clash. It is the first Croatian derby in the WABA League in two years and, remarkably, only the fourth since the 2010/11 season—when Sibenik last regularly competed in the regional competition. While regional encounters have been rare, these two teams know each other inside out from domestic play, where Sibenik has held a clear upper hand, winning seven of their last eight head-to-head matches over the past three seasons.

Sibenik enters the game in sensational form, carrying a perfect, undefeated record across all competitions this season (2-0 in the WABA League and 4-0 in the Croatian Championship). They will look to rely on their recent psychological advantage to keep their winning streak alive.

However, Studio Zagreb is enjoying a strong campaign of their own. With two crucial regional victories already under their belt against Rilski Sportist, the Zagreb squad is well on track for the quarterfinals. They look equally sharp at home, sporting a solid 2-1 record in the domestic league.

Danica Talajic, Head Coach of Studio Zagreb:

Stipe Bralic, Head Coach of Sibenik:

Buducnost Bemax-Rilski Sportist 18.00 CET (Podgorica/Bemax Arena)   LIVE STATS   LIVE STREAM

Last season, the Montenegrin powerhouse dominated this matchup, cruising to two convincing wins (86-54 and 84-58). However, the narrative heading into this encounter is quite different, making it a must-watch game for basketball fans.

Buducnost Bemax enters the game lacking competitive rhythm. Because the Montenegrin national championship started late, their only official game of the season was a surprising 69-73 home defeat to Sibenik a month ago. To shake off the rust, the team recently played a friendly against Croatian top-tier side Ragusa and won 72-60 to fine-tune their form.

Meanwhile, Rilski Sportist finds itself in a precarious position. The Bulgarian squad has lost all four of their WABA League games so far. However, the record doesn’t tell the whole story; three of those defeats were heartbreakingly close, decided by just one or two possessions.

With their backs against the wall, this trip to Podgorica is Rilski Sportist’s final chance to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive.

Petar Stojanovic, Head Coach of Buducnost Bemax:

Group B

Partizan 1953-Beroe 18.00 CET (Belgrade/Hall Ranko Zeravica)   LIVE STATS   LIVE STREAM

Historically, Beroe has completely dominated this matchup with an overwhelming 8-2 head-to-head record. In fact, Partizan’s last victory over the Bulgarian side dates back to February 28, 2018, when they edged a narrow 66-65 road win. However, heading into this encounter, the balance of power appears to have shifted.

Partizan 1953 is currently firing on all cylinders. They remain undefeated in the Serbian Championship with a perfect 6-0 record, coming off a jaw-dropping 104-28 road demolition of Spartak last Saturday. The Belgrade squad opened their WABA League campaign last week away against Studio Zagreb and enters this match with sky-high confidence.

In contrast, Beroe has endured a turbulent start to their season, which began over a month ago. After being eliminated in the FIBA EuroCup qualifiers by Spain’s Ferrol, the club parted ways with all three of their foreign players. While Beroe has brought in replacements, a crucial bureaucratic twist leaves it heavily short-handed: because the newcomers were registered after October 14—the original scheduled date for this postponed fixture—they are ineligible to play.

Domestically, Beroe holds a 2-1 record, recently bouncing back with yesterday’s 97-50 victory over Septemvri 97 after suffering a heavy 76-96 road defeat to Montana 2003.

This will be Beroe’s official debut in the 2026/27 WABA League, marking the return of head coach Nikolay Gospodinov to the regional competition, who previously led Montana 2003 to the Final Four in the 2022/23 season.

Milan Milanovic, Head Coach of Partizan 1953:

Nikolay Gospodinov, Head Coach of Beroe:

Foto: hks-cbf.hr