Eczacibasi prevail in Istanbul thriller to set up an all-Turkish final
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A packed Ülker Sports and Event Hall witnessed one of the most dramatic matches of the 2026 CEV Champions League Women’s Final Four as Eczacibasi Dynavit ISTANBUL overcame Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI in five sets to secure their place in the final. In front of enthusiastic fans, the hosts produced a comeback performance full of composure and power to earn a 3-2 victory and keep the trophy dream alive on home court.
Istanbul had already seen one semifinal decided in straight sets. Still, the second delivered everything the Final Four stage promises: tension, momentum swings, star performances and, ultimately, a home celebration that carried deep into the night.
At Ülker Sports and Event Hall, Eczacibasi Dynavit ISTANBUL outlasted Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI in a gripping five-set battle, claiming a 3-2 victory to book their place in the 2026 CEV Champions League Volley Women’s Final.
It was a semifinal shaped by resilience as much as talent, and by a team that refused to let the moment slip away on home soil.
Scandicci struck first, taking the opening set behind the relentless power of Ekaterina Antropova, who once again proved why she is one of the competition’s most feared attackers. Her 34 points led all scorers and gave the Italian side early control, but Eczacibasi steadily adjusted.
What followed was the response of a team built for nights like this.
Magdalena Stysiak delivered 30 points against her former club, combining precision and force at key stages, while Ebrar Karakurt added 18 in front of an energised Istanbul crowd that lifted with every rally. Sinead Jack-Kisal anchored the middle with 13 points and a commanding presence at the net as Eczacibasi turned the match in their favour.
After dropping the first set, the Turkish side found rhythm and authority. They took the second with greater balance, then dominated the third with confidence, limiting Scandicci’s options and raising their defensive intensity.
Yet the Italian side, finalists a year ago and reigning Club World Champions, showed their own pedigree. They pushed the match into a fifth set after edging a tense fourth, refusing to let Eczacibasi close the door.
For a moment, the semifinal hung entirely in the balance.
Then came the decider, and Eczacibasi’s clearest statement of the evening.
With the crowd fully behind them, the hosts surged ahead and never looked back. A composed, aggressive finish carried them to a 15-8 fifth set and sent the arena into celebration.
It was not just a win; it was a breakthrough.
Eczacibasi had entered the semifinal with a difficult history in one-leg Champions League semifinals, winning only once before in such a format. Against one of Europe’s most battle-tested sides, they rewrote that narrative in the most dramatic way possible.
The match also extended one of the closest rivalries in recent Champions League history. Before this contest, only three points had separated the two teams across their previous meetings. After another five-set encounter, the margin remains just as narrow, but the reward this time was far greater.
For Scandicci, the defeat was a painful end to another deep European run. Antropova’s remarkable performance and the experience of players like Maja Ognjenović and Brenda Castillo kept the Italians alive until the very end, but they could not match Eczacibasi’s final surge.
After the match, Ognjenović reflected on the disappointment of falling short despite strong preparation and a promising start, admitting it was difficult to understand exactly what had been missing in the decisive moments. Still, she emphasised the importance of finding motivation quickly, with the bronze medal match still ahead.
For Eczacibasi, however, the focus now turns to an all-Turkish final.
“We’re going to make you watch an amazing Turkish final,” said Ebrar Karakurt after the match, thanking the home supporters and calling on them to return in even greater numbers for the championship showdown.
And they will.
Because after two semifinals, Istanbul’s Final Four has delivered exactly what the city hoped for: a Turkish final on Europe’s biggest club stage.
For Eczacibasi, it is a chance to lift the Champions League trophy for the first time since 2015.
For the home crowd, it is the perfect ending to a remarkable opening day.
And for everyone inside the arena, it was a semifinal they will remember long after the final point.
