Moment of truth in final push for semifinals

The top eight clubs of Europe take to the courts again this week as they begin the final push to make the semifinals of the CEV Champions League Volley 2021 in the first legs of the four quarterfinals, following some thrilling action in pool play earlier this season.

Action begins on Tuesday with the Italian derby at the PalaPanini, where Leo Shoes Modena host Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia.

Modena are four-time European champions (in addition to holding four silver medals and one bronze) - though all of their titles were back in 1990s. But Perugia still seek their first continental trophy, after finishing runners-up to Zenit Kazan in 2017 and taking the bronze medal (with a win over ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle) in 2018.

Thw two have met twice this season in the Italian League, with Perugia prevailing on both counts. But although Perugia finished top of the table in the Regular Season and Modena are still vying for a spot in the Playofffs quarterfinals, no Italian derby can be taken for granted.

"The match against Modena is a complicated one, as a quarterfinal of the Champions League should be," said Perugia libero Massimo Colaci ahead of the game. "We have got here well and we are ready physically and technically for a great match. The service will of course be an important fundamental, then I think winning long actions will be decisive."

Defending European champions and reigning world champions Cucine Lube Civitanova are up against Grupa Azoty Kedzierzyn-Kozle in the second quarterfinal of the week at the Eurosuole Forum.

Having finished top of their pool and undefeated in the 4th Round, the Polish side earned home advantage for the second leg, owing to Lube's second place in their pool after losing to Perugia.

And while Lube are going after their third European champions title (after successes in 2002 and 2019) Kedzierzyn-Kozle are looking to for their first. The closest the Polish side have ever come to a European trophy was when they finished runners-up to Sisley Treviso in the 2011 CEV Cup.

After failing to make it out of their pool last year (in a competition that was never completed due to the coronavirus pandemic), six-time European Champions Zenit Kazan are back on track again this year in a rematch of the 2012 Champions League final against PGE Skra Belchatow.

Zenit are undefeated in Europe this season - the only team across the board to complete pool play on full points.

Nine-time Polish champions Skra are still seeking their first ever international trophy after finishing runners up twice in the Club World Championship and once in the European Champions League.

Rounding up the week's action are three-time Champions League winners Trentino Itas who travel to Berlin to face Recycling Volleys at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in a bid to make the semifinals for the first time since 2016 (when they beat Lube to advance to the final where they lost to Zenit Kazan).

Berlin have only twice before made the semifinals, continuing for bronze in 2015 but finishing forth in 2017.

"Berlin are a team that has great experience also at an international level and have set up a complete roster, which makes it difficult to guess the starting lineup," said Trentino head coach Angelo Lorenzetti. For this but also for many other reasons, the quarterfinal that awaits us is certainly very demanding and must be tackled with great attention, starting with the away match on Thursday in Germany."