Last round of matches to complete #RoadToTorino!

It is the very last stop before the Final Four in Torino! The return matches of the #CLVolleyM quarterfinals take place this week – and Ziraat Bankkart ANKARA, PGE Projekt WARSZAWA, Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA and Aluron CMC Warta ZAWIERCIE all hope to capitalise on last week’s victories to reach the final stage of the competition. The stakes are high and the drama is guaranteed as the world’s Volleyball elite takes to the court one more time with a spot among the top four at stake! 

Bogdanka LUK LUBLIN (POL) vs. PGE Projekt WARSZAWA (POL)

Last week, PGE Projekt caused quite a sensation with their 3-1 home victory – which reversed the outcome of the three matches previously played between these teams earlier this season. Moreover, the team from the Polish capital city ended the perfect run of rookies LUBLIN in the competition – as they had won six matches in a row in the pool stage in their maiden #CLVolleyM appearance. PGE Projekt has gone through many ups and downs this season – changed coach in late January but maybe they have found the right form and mix right when the stakes are high. Bogdanka, the reigning Polish league and cup champions, need a 3-0 or 3-1 home win to force a Golden Set. Wilfredo Leon and his ‘armada’ have what it takes to get there – but judging by last week’s matchup in Warsaw, this is not going to be an easy task even for such a star-filled group of players. 

Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA (ITA) vs. Guaguas LAS PALMAS (ESP) 

These two teams play each other for the fourth time this season with titleholders PERUGIA boasting a record of three wins in as many matches this far. However, both matches played away from home have been very challenging for the ‘Block Devils’, resulting in eventual 3-2 wins. Back in late January, when they hosted Guaguas in Perugia, Sir Sicoma Monini secured a more commanding 3-1 win on home soil. A win by any score will secure a spot in the Final Four for PERUGIA where they would hope to retain the historic title they won last year in Poland. If they were to progress, Guaguas on the other hand would become the first men’s team from Spain to achieve this feat since the competition was established more than 25 years ago. Simone Giannelli and Wassim Ben Tara will carry the hopes of home success for PERUGIA – as Guaguas will rely heavily on their best scorer Wallyson Francisco Bezerra Souza (second best overall this season on a tally of 214 points) and the experienced Osmany Juantorena, a three-time winner of this competition. Moreover, Guaguas would become the first team to make it to the semis after starting their journey from the early rounds since TRENTINO Itas did so in 2020/2021. 

Aluron CMC Warta ZAWIERCIE (POL) vs. Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA (ITA) 

Last year’s silver medal winners from Poland have a clear edge following their 3-0 away victory from last week. The ‘Jurassic Knights’ will be trying to add another home victory to their resume – they have only conceded one set this season so far and they did so when they hosted Asseco Resovia at the very beginning of the group phase. Two-time #CLVolleyM winners Cucine Lube have a mountain to climb – they need to win 3-0 or 3-1 and the eventual Golden Set if they are to progress to the Final Four. They are yet to reach the semis of the competition since their 2019 triumph in Berlin. 

Mattia Boninfante, setter of Cucine Lube: “ZAWIERCIE are coming off a home tie-break loss against Zaksa in the first match of the PlusLiga quarterfinals. There are many possible scenarios and reactions on their side. We will only know for sure how this setback affects them on Thursday at the Arena Sosnowiec, when we take the court. We too, like many other teams, have lost important matches or stumbled unexpectedly during the season. Sometimes you bounce back immediately; other times you carry some aftereffects with you. Everyone can be beaten: we will go there aiming to turn the result around, aware that we have the potential to take them to a Golden Set. In the first leg, both teams played at a high level in side-out. We started poorly and had a dip in the second set, but the first and third sets were decided by just a few points. Aluron served better than us and defended more, and we paid the price. Lube can win at their place, as we have already done in the SuperLega in Trento and Verona and in the Champions League in Warsaw. In the first part of the season we weren’t solid away from home, but then we showed we can compete even on tough courts. We will do everything to get the better of Aaron Russell and his teammates. Comebacks like this can only be achieved by giving your all in every rally and focusing on one ball at a time!”

Ziraat Bankkart ANKARA (TUR) vs. Asseco Resovia RZESZÓW (POL) 

The #CEVCupM winners from 2025, Ziraat Bankkart ANKARA have looked formidable this season so far – they were the best performing team in the group stage of the competition and last week they did not leave much of a chance to wildcard holders Resovia. If they were to reach the Final Four – they would make it there courtesy of a victory by any score or even with a 2-3 loss – they would become the third men’s club from Türkiye to do so – after Halkbank did it in 2014 and last season, and Arkas IZMIR achieved this goal in 2012. Their Dutch opposite hitter Nimir Abdel-Aziz has scored an amazing 6.21 points per set so far and he certainly will not slow his pace down at the last hurdle before the Final Four. Resovia will have to rise to the occasion to change the course of this double header – and try to take some valuable lessons from their home loss, where the set scores were quite close and they managed to record at least 20 points in each set.