07/03/2016 22:51
Russian armada does not underestimate PIACENZA in their quest for Final Four spot
2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Women
Kazan, Russia, March 7, 2016. Russia’s national champions Dinamo KAZAN are taking on Italy’s Nordmeccanica PIACENZA aiming high for their home match on schedule for the Playoffs 6 of the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women which is coming up on Thursday, March 10.
In the Playoffs 12 the Russian armada eliminated from the competition their compatriots and arch-rivals Uralochka-NTMK EKATERINBURG after recording two almost identical 3-1 wins against the team mentored by legendary disciplinarian Nikolay Karpol.
Now only two Russian giants, Dinamo MOSCOW and Dinamo KAZAN, continue their journey in the most prestigious European club competition. This means that Russia – one of Europe’s Volleyball powers – will have two shots at a spot in the final stage of the Champions League. It has become some kind of a tradition, however, that at least one Italian club qualifies for the Final Four. The Italians took a break only in the 2013/2014 season, and this year’s edition of the Champions League will see Pomì CASALMAGGIORE host the much anticipated Final Four on schedule for April 9 and 10. Dinamo KAZAN will spare no effort trying to prevent a second Italian team from reaching the last and most exciting stage of the competition.
On the way to the Playoffs 6 Dinamo KAZAN did not find too much resistance and twice routed Uralochka-NTMK. Prior to that, in the group stage Dinamo KAZAN topped the standing of Pool A and qualified for the Playoffs ahead of time, leaving behind two Azerbaijani teams and Germany’s Allianz MTV STUTTGART.
The campaign of Nordmeccanica PIACENZA in the Champions League has turned out to be a lot more dramatic this year. Having cashed a 3-1 home victory in the match against Dinamo MOSCOW at the outbreak of the season, the Italians kept the lead in Pool F for several weeks. However, in the last match of the group stage the very same Muscovites hammered a 3-0 win, this resulting in the Italians giving the lead away. Nordmeccanica PIACENZA lost their first Playoffs 12 match in Sopot at the tie-break but then managed to snatch a solid 3-1 victory from PGE Atom Trefl SOPOT to secure their spot in the Playoffs 6, their best result to date in the competition.
Despite following rather different routes on their way to the Playoffs 6, Dinamo KAZAN are far from underestimating their rivals. The head coach of Dinamo, Rishat Gilyazutdinov highlights the differences between the Russian and Italian Volleyball schools: “Nordmeccanica PIACENZA are a tough opponent, who always show perfect technique, especially with their attacks from the back row. The Italians play fast, technically superb Volleyball, preferring it to powerful, stormy attacks. It might become quite tough and challenging for us because we will have to adapt and readjust after the Russian championship where most of the teams play quite powerfully.”
Dinamo KAZAN player and captain of the Italian national team, outside spiker Antonella Del Core, who of course knows the Italian Volleyball school very well and has first-hand experience, shares head coach’s point of view: “I think that we need to focus as much as we can, because they are having a good moment right now, so we will have to play our best.”
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