Big challenge on the horizon for Mint Vero Volley Monza, ready to return to the field at the Burhan Felek Voleybol Salonu in Istanbul tomorrow, Tuesday 6 February, at 6.00 pm Italian time (8.00 pm local time). On the Turkish Taraflex, Massimo Eccheli’s boys will face Galatasaray HDI Istanbul in the return match of the 2024 Challenge Cup Semifinal.
After the good victory in the first leg (clear 3-0 within the friendly walls of the Opiquad Arena), the first men’s team of the Consortium will have to be good at managing their physical and mental energies. The Monza team, in fact, are fresh from a home defeat against the Italian champions Itas Trentino on the sixth return day of the SuperLega Credem Banca. To get through to the final of the third European competition, the team from Brianza will have to win at least two sets, or play one last chance at the Golden Set. Japanese spiker Ran Takahashi is out, still struggling with the ankle injury suffered during the match of SuperLega against Verona, and the central Comparoni.
On the other side, Mint Vero Volley Monza will find the fierce Turkish team, led by the former player Jan Zimmermann. The German setter was a protagonist last season with the Consortium’s shirt, replacing the injured Kreling for the entire course of the 2022/23 championship. The first leg match was the only precedent between the two teams in official matches. Galatasaray, in the previous round, had defeated the Portuguese team Fonte Bastardo, winning 3-0 in the Azores and 3-1 in Turkey. Top scorer for the Turks in the first match was the Croatian opposite Jan Hdrava, author of 16 points, while in the return match the star performer was the Serbian spiker Nikola Mijailovic with 17 balls hit. In the first match of the Semi-finals, however, the best scorer for the Turks was the Serbian Miran Kujundzic with 13 points.
Before the match against the Monza team, the team led by coach Umut Cakir had won all the matches played in this competition. The Turks scored 542 points and scored statistically almost half of the balls attacked (48% attack), while also being able to count on solid receptions (55% positive). In the entire competition, the Turks only lost one set at home: Mint will therefore be called to an important test, with the aim of grabbing a place for the final act of the 2024 Challenge Cup.
CEV Challenge Cup 2024
Semifinals, Away Match
Tuesday 6 February 2024, 6.00 pm
Galatasaray HDI Istanbul (TUR) – Mint Vero Volley Monza
Referees: Lukas Kralovic, Dusan Rychlik
First leg: Mint Vero Volley Monza – Galatasaray HDI Istanbul 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-16)
