European cups
2013 CEV Champions League
Clutch time in Cuneo for its Champions League playoffs 6 return leg against Macerata. The hosts lost the first leg and will need to win the game to earn the right to play the golden set. The winner will take part in Omsk’s Final Four on March 16-17 and will take on Izmir or Kozle. The third playoffs 6 tie is between the two Russians: Dinamo Moscow and Kazan, the latter won the first leg 3-0.
Wout Wijsmans (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “We played a poor game in the first leg and now we want to take revenge. This is our chance to stay in the most prestigious European competition and we will do everything possible to win it to play this golden set, and being at home is certainly an advantage. Our attitude has not been good a week ago, we put our heads down at the first difficulty and we couldn’t find a way back. We have to prepare ourselves well, because it can only be tough against the Italian champions. We have already beaten them at home, we’ll need that same determination we had had in the league game”.
Alen Pajenk (Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “The return game of the playoffs 6 in Cuneo will be extremely difficult, especially being away from home. Hopefully, we’ll play a good game and won’t have any problem. It’s true we won the first leg and that’s a first step towards the Final Four, but given the formula, if we lose, it will be all down to the golden set. Tomorrow, we have to focus on the game, and try to win it, we have to do our best to avoid this golden set”.
Playoffs 6 return leg
Wednesday February 13 at 8.30pm
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo (ITA) – Lube Banca Marche Macerata (ITA) Live on Sportitalia 2
(Gaupp-Georgouleas)
2013 CEV Cup
Tough mission in the Cev Cup semi-final for Latina, which will have to win both the game and golden set to go through against MMP Ankara. The other semi-finals puts face to face Halkbank Ankara and Lokomotiv Kharkiv. The Turkish won the first leg 3-0.
Salvatore Rossini (Andreoli Latina): “A game worth a season, we worked so hard to get here. This is an important target for us and the club, and we will do everything possible. Ankara is a good team, but we can beat them, although we’ll need the best Latina to do so. We’ll need to serve better and make less mistakes than in the first leg. The support of our fans will be important, we know it will be a long battle, which hopefully will go all the way to the golden set”.
Semi-final return leg
Wednesday February 13 at 8.30pm
Andreoli Latina (ITA) – Maliye Milli Piyango Ankara (TUR) Live on Lazio TV (Sky 892)
(Voudouris-Nederhoed)
2013 Challenge Cup
Piacenza’s PalaBanca is ready to host the Challenge Cup quarter-final second leg with Minsk (Byelorussia) as the visitors. The Italians won the first leg and will try to make the double to go through to the semis, which will take place on February 26-27 and March 2-3. If Piacenza was to lose, the tie would be decided on the golden set.
Quarter-final return leg
Wednesday February 13 at 8.30pm
Copra Elior Piacenza (ITA) – Stroitel Minsk (BLR)
(Brlas-Guillet)
