Here we are.
Cucine Lube Civitanova is into the Final Four mood.
Second trophy of the season after the third place in the Supercup last september.
Lube will face LPR Piacenza of former coach Alberto Giuliani tomorrow at 15.30 at Unipol Arena in Casalecchio di Reno (BO). The team who will win will play in the big final on sunday at 17.30, facing the winner of the game Azimut Modena-Diatec Trentino.
Around 300 fans from Marche will be expected in Bologna to support Lube
LPR Piacenza
Lube defeated two times in this season the team of Alberto Giuliani. Cubans Hierrezuelo-Hernandez are in great shape, together with cuban spiker Leonel Marshall and frenchman Clevenot (from the bench Parodi and Zlatanov). Italian middle blockers with Alletti and Tencati, together with bulgarian Yosifov (da valutare il suo utilizzo in base al conto stranieri in campo). In libero role the couple Manià-Papi.
Coach Blengini and captain Stankovic
“It’s a busy week, we are waiting for this moment for so long -said coach Gianlorenzo Blengini-, but we didn’t have so much time to prepare because of the games. I’m not surprised to see Piacenza at this level, they made an expoit eliminating Perugia, they’re playing some good volleyball, a team well coached. We are focused on this game, now”.
“This is one of the top event of the season, we’ll be ready -said captain Dragan Stankovic-. In last three season we lost in semifinal, this time we want to change the trend. Will be difficoult for sure, especially facing a big team as Piacenza, a team with plenty of champions who can put every team in trouble especially in one game, as we saw in the quarterfinals. We are confident and focused, we will give everything”
Lube in Final Four
15 times in the final act of Italian Cup, 7 in a row in the Final Four, Six o Eight. 4 Cups lifted, the last in 2009. The last title final was in 2013, all semifinals lost at the tie break.
Second time versus Piacenza
43 games between Lube and Piacenza, 25 wins for Civitanova, 18 LPR. In campionato doppio successo Lube all’andata (3-0) e al ritorno (3-1). 1 game in Italian Cup Final Four, in 2009, Lube won 3-1 in semifinal
Former players
Denys Kaliberda was in Piacenza in 2013-2014, winning the Italian Cup, Antonio Corvetta in Piacenza in 2012-2013. In LPR there are coach Alberto Giuliani, with Lube from 2011 til 2015, and Simone Parodi, from 2011 til 2016
Records
Superleague and Italian Cup: Enrico Cester – needs 14 points to reach 1000 (Cucine Lube Civitanova); Simone Parodi needs 11 points to reach 2000, Viktor Yosifov needs 2 aces to reach 100 (LPR Piacenza).
Cucine Lube Civitanova – LPR Piacenza
Live on Rai Sport 1 with the commentary of Maurizio Colantoni and Andrea Lucchetta. Live Radio Arancia Network, commentary by Andrea Pergolini. Live on Twitter @VolleyLube
