All-Italian Super Finals on the cards after spectacular #CLVolleyW semi-finals' first leg

The path towards the fourth all-Italian last act of the CEV Champions League Women in this century has been set, with both Allianz Vero Volley Milano and A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano securing home wins in the semi-finals of this season’s European premium competition against Turkish opponents.

The 2020/21 season winners, A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano are trying to secure their fourth berth for the last act of the competition in the last five years and are halfway there, having secured a crucial 3:2 win against Eczacıbaşı Dynavit Istanbul in the first leg of the semi-finals.

However, the Turkish side pushed Conegliano all until the end, as the Italian’s side unblemished record this season – 36 wins in 36 matches – was seriously tested. In fact, the Italian powerhouses needed a magnificent comeback to pull off one of the greatest escapes in the past few seasons, after conceding the first two sets.

Once again, it was star opposite Tijana Bošković who led the charge for the Turkish side, with 29 points, as Eczacıbaşı Dynavit Istanbul took the first two sets, 28:26 and 25:20, as Conegliano really failed to get their attack going at times, missing key opportunities throughout the first two sets.

Yet something changed, and the 5300 fans in the PalaVerde had something to cheer for, as their favourites put together a magnificent comeback, spurred by the MVP of the match, Swedish opposite Isabelle Haak, who caught fire early in the third set and helped turn things around with 37 points.

The third set was a quick procession, as Conegliano took an early 7:1 lead, which morphed into a 16:7 one in the middle of the set, only for the Italian side to register a clear 25:14 win to balance the match. Another 25:22 set win was decisive for the Italian side to push everything into the decider, but there Eczacıbaşı Dynavit Istanbul roared back.

Conegliano were down four points in the decider, 3:7, and it looked like everything was going to be against them, but they quickly bounced back and after three missed match points, they finally closed the win with a fantastic 18:16 win in the fifth set.

However, nothing is done and dusted for the last season’s runners-up, Eczacıbaşı Dynavit Istanbul. A 3:0 or a 3:1 win is Istanbul will turn the doubleheader on its head, yet Conegliano have only lost two of their last 44 matches in the European premium competition, each time against Turkish opponents.

Yet Conegliano’s coach, Davide Santarelli, who is also Türkiye women’s national team coach, knows a thing or two about their opponents, as well about the atmosphere created in Istanbul, where Eczacıbaşı Dynavit have already lost once this season against Italian opposition, in the pool against Savino Del Bene Scandicci.

While Eczacıbaşı Dynavit Istanbul fought until the bitter end for the win, Fenerbahce Opet Istanbul had little chance against Allianz Vero Volley Milano, who are now closer than ever to their first-ever final in the European premium competition, after a clear 3:0 win.

As Italian sides have always been a problem for Fenerbahce Opet – which lost 13 of their last 19 matches against Italian opposition – this match were always going to bring some trouble to the table for the team which had previously lost only one match this season and conceded only four sets before the first leg of the semi-finals.

But Allianz Vero Volley Milano had a perfect player in Paola Egonu, the three-time MVP of the European premium competition, as Egonu had 22 points, dictating the rhythm in each of the three sets of Milano’s win, 25:21, 27:25, 25:20.

On the other hand, the Italian side prepared excellently for Fenerbahce’s top weapons, Arina Fedorovtseva (17 points) and Melissa Vargas (14 points), who scored nearly half of their team’s total of 66 points in the match, leaving the Turkish side scratching their heads in search for a masterstroke comeback in the second leg.

But with Fenerbahce conceding losses in the semi-final in the last two consecutive editions of the CEV Champions League Women, a 3:0 or 3:1 win, which would bring the golden set into play, looks quite far ahead.