Adventure number 18 of the Cucine Lube Civitanova in the CEV Champions League is upon us, the thirteenth in a row starting from the 2011/12 season. Tomorrow, Wednesday 22 November (8.30pm live with DAZN and Radio Arancia), the red and whites will play at the Eurosuole Forum against the Romanians of Arcada Galati for the 1st day of Pool E.
In the SuperLega Credem Banca the Italian champions are fifth with 11 points after the victory in three sets at the PalaPanini in Modena. The 2023/24 Champions League opens with the aim of breaking the taboo of the Quarter-finals, a round in which Chicco Blengini’s Lube lost in the last three participations against two Polish teams and one Turkish team.
The path of the Arcada Galati in the Preliminaries
The Romanian team reached Pool E as the best second in the 2nd Round. In the First Round, coach Stancu’s team finished in second place in Pool IV in the Las Palmas concentration, making up for the initial defeat against the hosts Guaguas thanks to the redemption in four sets against the Croatians Mladost Zagreb. Inserted in Pool VI of the 2nd Round, with matches played in its own arena, Galati overcame the Ukrainians of “Prometey” DNIPRO and the Bulgarians Neftohimik Burgas with the maximum margin, only to then fall in four sets against the Greeks of Olympiacos Piraeus after winning the first partial. This was enough to close the preliminary phase as the best second of the two final groups.
Opponents in a nutshell. Arcada, second in its home country two points behind leaders Brasov, boasts Sergiu Stancu at the reins, an experienced coach who is making the team rotate by alternating staff both in the league and in Europe. Among the key men stand out the Romanian spiker Marian Iulian Bala, his compatriot in the center, Andrei Butnaru, and the Brazilian opposite Theo Lopez, who will spend a two-year period at New Mater. Also included in the group is Finnish opposite Aaro Nikula, Civitanova’s opponent last year in the Group Phase wearing the Benfica shirt. Keep an eye on the good receiving line and the frequent alternation of setters.
The formula of the Group Phase: the Pool Phase includes 5 mini-groups of 4 teams. The top teams from each group qualify for the Quarter Finals, while the second teams and the best third place will face a preliminary round to reach the Quarter Finals.
POOL E – Program of the 1st day
Wednesday 22 November 2022, 8.30 pm
Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) – C.S. Arcada Galati (ROU)
Referees: Sonja Simonovska (MNE), Ozan Cagi Sarikaya (TUR)
Wednesday 22 November 2022, 8.30 pm
Greenyard Maaseik (BEL) – VK Lvi Praha (CZE)
Referees: Sabine Witte (GER), Ivaylo Ivanov (BUL)
