The ninth first leg of the Serie A3 Credem Banca championship reserves yet another challenge between Gabbiano Mantova and Negrini CTE Acqui Terme after those in Serie B.
Gabbiano wants to reverse course after the Piedmontese team always defeated them in the previous three, both in the Italian Cup and in the play-offs last season. In A3, two partially renewed teams will compete, but it won’t be a match like the others for those who have already found themselves on both sides of the net. It will also be a high-ranking match between the team of Serafini, still unbeaten like San Donà (but with one less match played), and the third strength of the white group.
La Gabbiano arrives at this challenge on the wings of enthusiasm and counts on the support of the PalaSguaitzer public, whose numbers are growing after the first home games. Serafini will be able to have the full roster at his disposal, with the full recovery of the injured players. Negrini will rely on the experience of Martino, Cester and Graziani, a team that makes physicality its main strength. Gabbiano will have to, as she has done so far, find countermeasures along the way and stay on track especially at the end of the sets.
Presenting the challenge against Acqui Terme is Gabbiano libero Luca Cattelani, present on the pitch last year: «It can’t be a match like all the others. After the three defeats of last season we will try to reverse the trend in a new championship, with new teams, and counting on the contribution of our fans. It’s a moment of great enthusiasm for us and the people who follow us are increasing from game to game. They will put us in difficulty but we will always have to look on our side of the pitch using the right strategies based on what will happen during the match. The objective remains salvation, but we must always stay on track even when things don’t go so well.”
