The bar is significantly raised in the Semi-final of the Challenge Cup 2025. Just four days after the slip at the PalaPanini in the Regular Season, the Cucine Lube Civitanova returns to the court at the Eurosuole Forum for the first leg match of the European event against the Turks of SK Ankara. The match is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday 13 February (8.30pm with live DAZN and Radio Arancia). Giampaolo Medei’s men are looking for comfort within the walls of their friends, thanks to an unbeaten domestic season (13 out of 13 with 12 three-point wins and a winning tie break in the Italian Cup quarter-finals), defense with great performances and giving space to all the men in the squad, thanks also to the great support of the Predators. The return match will be played in Ankara on Tuesday 25 February at 2pm Italian time (4pm in Türkiye).
Lube moment: The red and whites, winners of their 8th trophy with the tricolor cockade at the end of January, are coming off nine victories in the last ten matches of the season in all competitions. In the Challenge Cup and Italian Cup only successes arrived, while in the Regular Season, after a string of four victories, last Sunday they lost in Modena in four sets. Balaso and his teammates return to the field four days later to react.
CIVITANOVA
Andata Sedicesimi: VK Karlovarsko (CZE) – Cucine Lube Civitanova 0-3. Ritorno Sedicesimi: Cucine Lube Civitanova – VK Karlovarsko (CZE) 3-0. Andata Ottavi: Karadordje Topola (SRB) – Cucine Lube Civitanova 0-3. Ritorno Ottavi: Cucine Lube Civitanova – Karadordje Topola (SRB) 3-1. Andata Quarti: Nova Tech Lycurgus Groningen (NED) – Cucine Lube Civitanova 1-3. Ritorno Quarti: Cucine Lube Civitanova – Nova Tech Lycurgus Groningen (NED) 3-0.
ANKARA
Andata Sedicesimi: Neftohimik Burgas (BUL) – SK Ankara (TUR) 0-3. Ritorno Sedicesimi: SK Ankara (TUR) – Neftohimik Burgas (BUL) 3-1. Andata Ottavi: WWK Volleys Herrsching (GER) – SK Ankara (TUR) 1-3. Ritorno Ottavi: SK Ankara (TUR) – WWK Volleys Herrsching (GER) 3-2. Andata Quarti: Paok Thessaloniki (GRE) – SK Ankara (TUR) 1-3. Ritorno Quarti: SK Ankara (TUR) – Paok Thessaloniki (GRE) 3-0.
SK Ankara – Roster completo
Ulas KIYAK (P), Batuhan AVCI (S), Dogukan YALTIRAKLI (P), Umit DEMIR (L), Dogan KARAKOC (O), Thomas EDGAR (O), Gokhan GOKGOZ (S), Hamdi ERKAN (S), Beytullah HATIPOGLU (L), Mustafa KOC (C), Mustafa CENGIZ (C), Salvador HIDALGO OLIVA (S), Omer Furkan DUR (C), Kaan BULBUL (C), Muhammet KAYA (P), Garrett Thomas MUAGUTUTIA (S).
HEAD COACH: Nedim OZBEY.
The words of Barthelemy Chinenyeze (Cucine Lube Civitanova headquarters):
“We are on the eve of a European Semi-final, it’s a great challenge, especially the home leg to break the ice. We are happy to have arrived and can’t wait to get started. We are coming from a misstep in the championship and we want to get back up immediately with an important test. We have the opportunity to do this in the first face-to-face of a challenge from inside or outside. For us it would be really important to win the first match, perhaps even by three points, to take fewer risks in the return match in Türkiye. We don’t know our opponents well yet, but we are studying them in the video room and, in any case, the golden rule is always to focus on our half of the pitch. Our game must make the difference.”
Arbitri: Mathilde HAYAUX DU TILLY (FRA) e Juraj MOKRY (SVK)
