14/06/2019 21:00
Much coveted tickets to Silver European League finals up for grabs on Saturday
CEV Volleyball European Silver League 2019
Luxembourg, June 14, 2019. The pool phase of the CEV Volleyball European Silver League 2019 reaches its climax on Saturday with a full set of eight matches. With Romania already qualified for the men’s finals with five straight wins from Pool B, Greece and Austria will fight for the top spot in Pool A – even though they are not playing against each other. Slovenia and Greece will engage in a direct battle for the top place in the women’s Pool B, while Israel and Romania are in contention for that same feat in the other group. The eventual pool winners will play the finals as home and away matches later this month – with the side emerging victorious moving up to the Golden League in 2020.
MEN
Pool A
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Greece
• This is the first European League match that Bosnia and Herzegovina will play in Lukavac, a small town in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Greece have to win if they want to qualify for the finals – as they fight with Austria for the top spot in the pool.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina will try to edge Greece to secure third place in the group.
• Three days ago, Greece hosted Bosnia and Herzegovina in Rentis and claimed a 3-0 victory there.
Edin Bakovic, head coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina: “Each game is important to us. We already have one victory in the Silver League, and even though we cannot promise a victory over Greece, we will try to play a good match and to delight our home fans in Lukavac.”
Hungary vs. Austria
• The sports hall of the National University of Public Service, Budapest will be hosting two European League matches – one per gender – featuring the national teams of Austria and Hungary.
• The last match between Hungary and Austria took place this past Wednesday in Graz, where Austria claimed a 3-1 victory.
• Austria and Greece are fighting for the top spot in the group – they have the same win-loss record (4-1) and ranking points (12), so the results of their matches with Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina will determine the pool winner that will ultimately progress to the finals.
• In case of a win, Hungary will cement their third place in the pool.
Pool B
Azerbaijan vs. Denmark
• Earlier this season, Denmark beat Azerbaijan 3-0 on home soil.
• Azerbaijan have claimed two wins over Georgia but have lost both of their matches against Romania.
• If they win 3-0, Azerbaijan would finish second in the pool.
Georgia vs. Romania
• Romania qualified for the finals last Wednesday after securing a fifth victory in a row in the pool.
• Romania have dropped two sets only in the process.
• Georgia, on the other hand, are yet to score a win.
• Georgia have taken one set only this far – from their away match against Azerbaijan in Baku.
WOMEN
Pool A
Israel vs. Cyprus
• Israel have a record of four wins and one loss this far to lead the standing of the pool.
• Cyprus have played one match less and recorded two victories in their two games with Georgia.
• Israel need a victory to better their chances of making it to the finals.
Georgia vs. Romania
• Georgia are yet to record a victory in the competition.
• They have taken only one set this far.
• Romania, on the other hand, have a record of three wins and one loss. On Tuesday, they will be playing their last match in the pool against Cyprus.
• Romania are battling with Israel for the top spot in the group and a place in the finals.
Pool B
Estonia vs. Portugal
• Estonia are trying to get their second win in Pool B by defeating Portugal once again. As the first match between these teams was very close and Estonia managed to seal a 3-2 win, the fans should expect another close battle.
• Portugal have one win and three losses and are third in the group; Estonia share the same win-loss record but sit in fourth place. Slovenia are the current pool leaders followed by Greece.
Kristel Moor, opposite of Team Estonia: “Unfortunately, we lost the last match against Greece but it was a good game. We fought a lot and I think we gained some confidence despite losing and we will give our best in the last match in the league.”
Slovenia vs. Greece
• This match is of a great importance for both teams, since the eventual winners will qualify for the finals.
• In the first match featuring these two teams, Slovenia claimed a solid 3-0 (25-19, 26-24, 25-21) away win in Vrachati.
• The Slovenians aim to continue their winning streak in front of their home fans. So far, they have won both of their home matches in the pool.
Alessandro Chiappini, head coach of Slovenia: “Tomorrow’s match against Greece will be a true semi-final clash of the European League, since the winners will secure their spot in the finals. It is important to see the match in this way. My team is well prepared and highly motivated and this is very important to me. We have already defeated Greece on their home soil; we played that game at an extremely high level. That was our best match in the European League this far and we have to repeat that performance once again. However, as I said, the most important thing is that the team is ready and motivated.”
Saša Planinšec, player of Slovenia: “We are aware that we can defeat Greece only with our best performance. We will try not to think too much about the rivals and their game. It is important for us to set up our game at a high level and without the fluctuations that we have had in previous matches. Our only wish is to win this match and qualify for the finals of the Silver League.”
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