Luxembourg, March 22, 2018. Two spots remain to be filled in the Playoffs 6 of the 2018 CEV Volleyball Champions League - Men. The contestants have their work cut out for them as both matches in the first leg resulted in tiebreak deciders. Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA and VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN do have a slight advantage having won their respective matches on the away court last week. The fixture between CIVITANOVA and PGE Skra BELCHATOW proved to be a great Match of the Week eight days ago, and the German battle between FRIEDRICHSHAFEN and BERLIN Recycling Volleys has all the potential of a classic MOTW as well.

VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER) vs. BERLIN  Recycling Volleys (GER)

•    “Dress rehearsal” in the German Bundesliga. Before BERLIN and FRIEDRICHSHAFEN meet in the return match in the Playoffs 12 of the Champions League, the two “German Titans” played their Bundesliga game in ZF Arena last Sunday. FRIEDRICHSHAFEN won 3-1 and is still unbeaten against the reigning German champions this season. However, both teams dealt in an underhanded manner and didn’t show their full strength. 
•    Thilo Späth-Westerholt – actually backup libero in the Häfler team – started as outside hitter on Sunday and scored 15 points with three killing blocks, more than any other player on the court. He did “the best game of his career”, head coach Vital Heynen said.
•    Thilo Späth-Westerholt, part two: He is the most loyal player in Heynen’s team playing for VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN since 2010. The return match against the BR Volleys will be his 49th match against the club from the German capital. 
•     Volleyball fans in Germany are thrilled. More than 6,000 people watched the match in Berlin, more than 3,000 spectators came to see the game on Sunday. Both of these figures are record-breaking ones for FRIEDRICHSHAFEN and BERLIN this season.
•    VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN is still unbeaten this season. After beating BERLIN twice, they have a 33-0 overall record. This is also a record breaking performance for the club that has already claimed 31 titles in their history, including the 2007 edition of the CEV Volleyball Champions League.



VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN head coach Vital Heynen: “The pressure the BR Volleys will put on us will be enormous. Both teams have to win the game to make it to the next round. For sure the two victories we claimed last week are a mental advantage for us. However, this will be a close game and we should win it. I would be also fine with a Golden Set victory.”

Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA (ITA) vs. PGE Skra BELCHATOW (POL)

•    Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA need to win with any result (3-0, 3-1, 3-2) to be sure to reach the Playoffs 6 phase, after defeating PGE Skra BELCHATOW last week in Lodz (3-2).
•    PGE Skra BELCHATOW can get to the Playoff 6 phase only with two results (i.e. winning 3-0 or 3-1). If the Polish team win 3-2, the clash will continue with a Golden Set.
•    Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA and PGE Skra BELCHATOW are playing against each other in the CEV Volleyball Champions League for the fourth year in a row: they did so three times in the Playoffs 12 (2015, 2017, 2018) and once in the League Round (2016). 
•    The winning team will face TRENTINO Diatec in the Playoffs 6, after the Playoffs 12 away match played on Tuesday in Italy ended in a 3-0 victory for TRENTINO over CHAUMONT VB 52 Haute Marne.
•    Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA is aiming to play in the Playoffs 6 for the third year in a row.



Dragan Stankovic, player of Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA: “Our goal is to get into the match with a very good start, it is important to show immediately to our opponents that we are ready to fight hard to win the game and to reach the qualification, with the help of our supporters. We hope to have a lot of people Thursday night in our sports hall, because PGE Skra BELCHATOW is a very strong team, as we saw in the match played last week in Poland: we must be perfect to win this game.”