Neptunes defeat Sliema 18–15 in water polo summer championship

Neptunes Best Gyms defeated Sliema Nexawin 18–15 in a Summer Championship water polo match, moving one win away from their first title since 2021. Neptunes took the first and third periods 5–4, while the second ended 4–4 and they won the fourth 4–3. The session-by-session margins tell the story of a tight contest: no period was decided by more than a single goal and Sliema stayed within striking distance until the final whistle.

The two clubs are known in Maltese water polo as rivali eterni – eternal rivals – and the Kampjonat tas-Sajf fixture lived up to that billing. Across all four sessions, Neptunes edged ahead only narrowly, winning two periods by a single goal each while conceding a draw in the second. The three-goal winning margin at 18–15 accumulated through those slim advantages across the match.

A rematch between the two sides is scheduled for the following Wednesday. A Neptunes victory in that fixture will confirm them as Summer Championship winners for the first time since 2021, ending a four-year wait for the title.