Intoduction. Water polo is team, contact sport played in the swimming pool with a ball. It is characterized by dynamism, specific type of swimming in all directions, changing body position in the water, ball handling, passing and shooting at the goal and by unpredictable situations in the defense and attack phase. Game-related statistics are an integral part of water polo match analyses. They enable a special insight into reasons for winning or losing by comparing specific game parameters. The aim of this research is to determine the relationship between the technical and tactical parameters in regards to the results of the preliminary and final matches of the Champions League in water polo in the 2021 season. In view of that, the research also aims to clarify the relationship between the winning and losing teams in the preliminary and final stages of the competition. Methods. The sample used includes the analysis of 56 water polo games played within 14 rounds of the preliminary part of the league, and 12 games of the final F8 tournament in Belgrade. A total of 32 technical and tactical variables related to defense and attack were analyzed. They were obtained from the official statistical match reports. Results. Based on the descriptive statistic, manova and canonical discriminant analyses of water polo segments, seven variables from the model were found to be significant for winning a match in the Champions League of the 2020/21 season (total shot score, total shot %, extra player goal %, blocked shots, counterattack score, counterattack shoot and sprint), while the leading parameters were blocked shots and 20-second player exclusion in the center position. Conclusion. In this research, we determined that the outcome of a match can be scientifically explained with 91.9% accuracy, based on technical and tactical indicators.
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