The 5 Italian teams involved in Europe have reached a new step, and there will therefore be more pressure. In the Champions League, the main phase is over and now Trentino, Macerata and Piacenza enter the knock out stage that could eventually lead to Praga’s Final Four.
On Tuesday at 8.30pm, the Italian champs face the Spaniard of Maiorca. On Wednesday, Macerata plays host to Fenerbahce Istanbul, where there is Vladimir Grbic, an ex of the Italian league.
Following its 12th consecutive win in the league Cuneo travels to Vienna for the Cev Cup Challenge Round. The Austrian will face an Italian team for the third time this season, losing out twice to Trento.
Treviso will fly to Poland to meet Wegiel, third in the domestic league. Now that they were knocked out of the Cev Cup, their main target will be this competition. Santilli will make good use of his knowledge of the Italian league to òake it as difficult as possible for Treviso, who has Fei and Cisolla doubtful.
On Thursday, it will be Piacenza’s turn in the Champions league. The opponent is Azs Czestochowa, in which there are two players who had an experience in Italy: Bartman and Mlyakov.
Lorenzetti’s team are on their way to the unknown after its defeat against Perugia, playing without Bravo, Zlatanov and Marshall. Bravo is sure to miss the game but the club is working to get the other two fit enough to play. Marshall is the most likely.
CEV INDESIT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
8th of final first leg
Tuesday 10 February at 8.30pm
Portol Palma Mallorca (ESP) – Trentino Volley
(Rietfort – Gril)
Noliko Maaseik (BEL) – Iskra Odintsovo (RUS)
(Van Gompel – Rocha)
Wednesday 11 February at 7pm
Dinamo Mosca (RUS) – PGE Skra Belchatow (POL)
(Kulhanek – Kozlovskyy)
Wednesday 11 February at 8.30pm
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Fenerbahce Istanbul (TUR)
(Vereecke – Loderus)
Knack Randstad Roeselare (BEL) – Vfb Friedrichshafen (GER)
(Yener – Hank)
Thursday 12 February at 8.15
ACH Volley Bled (SLO) – Zenit Kazan (RUS)
(Lekkas – Georgiev)
Thursday 12 February at 8.30pm
Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza – AZS Czestochowa (POL)
(Ilbeyli – Vaz De Castro)
Vitoria SC (POR) – Iraklis Salonicco (GRE)
(Marenc – Rodriguez)
CEV CUP
Challenge round first leg
Wednesday 11 February at 6pm
Panathinaikos Atene (GRE) – Olympiacos Pireo (GRE)
(Harizanov – Berenstein)
Wednesday 11 February at 8pm
Beauvais Oise (FRA) – Lokomotiv-Belogorie Belgorod (RUS)
(Locatelli – Macintyre)
Paris Volley (FRA) – Unicajia Arukasur Almeria (ESP)
(Kaaber – Frigne)
Wednesday 11 February at 8.20
aon hotVolleys Vienna (AUT) – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
(Sobral – Wolf)
CHALLENGE CUP
Quarter finals
Tuesday 10 February at 8.30pm
Tourcoing L.M. (FRA) – Arkas Izmir (TUR)
(Sodja – Jacyna)
Wednesday 11 february at 6pm
Jastrzebski Wegiel SA (POL) – Sisley Treviso
(Samedov – Kainulainen)
Wednesday 11 february at 7pm
E.A. Patras (GRE) – Galatasaray Istanbul (TUR)
(Shaino – Constantin)
Thursday 12 February at 6pm
Tomis Constanta (ROU) – Metallurg Zhlobin (BLR)
(Ivanov – Demirdelen)
