SERIE A1 TIM
Cuneo looking to go top
Clash of giants: Trentino vs Macerata
The 18th round could definitely be one to remember in the A1. It all starts with Cuneo versus Verona on Saturday night. Thanks to 9 consecutive wins, Cuneo moved up to second place, between Trentino and Macerata, and will try to keep up the good work against Verona afer beating Martina Franca last Monday. The ones to watch will be Lasko and Parodi, the ex of this encounter. With a win, Cuneo could take the first place off Trentino, who will defend it away in Macerata, and that should not be easy as De Giorgi’s team proved unbeatable at home so far. In order to be ready for this clash, the coach of the red-and-whites used the turnover in the Champions League game in midweek.
Another interesting game will be the one between Modena and Piacenza, both looking to bounce back after last week’s defeat. Forli is facing a very tough one against Montichiari, a team it has never beaten in history. This would be a first win not only against Montichiari but also in their PalaFiera gym this season.
Padova will try to stop one of the most in-form teams in Perugia, as it is desperate for points to keep their hopes of staying up alive. There will be important points at stake as well on Monday night, as Vibo Valentia and Pineto are looking to get as far away from the danger zone as possible.
SERIE A1 TIM 18th ROUND
Saturday 17 January at 6.30pm
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Marmi Lanza Verona LIVE ON SKY SPORT 2
(Sobrero – Braico)
Sunday 18 January at 6pm
Trenkwalder Modena – Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza
(Ippoliti – Bartolini)
Antonveneta Padova – RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia
(Gnani – Satanassi)
Stamplast Martina Franca – Sisley Treviso
(Saltalippi – Caltabiano)
Yoga Forli – Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari
(Caldarola – Pasquali)
Sunday 18 January at 6.30pm
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Itas Diatec Trentino LIVE ON SKY SPORT 2
(Santi – Pessolano)
Monday 19 January at 8.30pm
Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – Framasil Pineto LIVE ON SKY SPORT 2
(Boris – La Micela)
TABLE
Itas Diatec Trentino 40, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 38, Lube Banca Marche Macerata 37, Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza 33, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia 29, Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari 28, Marmi Lanza Verona 26, Sisley Treviso 24, Trenkwalder Modena 21, Stamplast Martina Franca 20, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 18, Framasil Pineto 18, Yoga Forli 15, Antonveneta Padova 10.
BRE BANCA LANNUTTI CUNEO – MARMI LANZA VERONA
Past encounters: 9 (5-4 Cuneo).
First leg: Marmi Lanza Verona – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 27-25, 25-22).
Record chasers: Manius Abbadi celebrates his 100th appearance in the regular season. On the other side of the net, Andrea Samemzato is one block away from the 200 in the league.
Peter Platenik (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “There are no weak teams in this league. Against Verona, we’ll have to give our best in order to get some points. It will be tough, we’ll meet some ex-Cuneo players, such as Lasko and Parodi, they will want to show their worth. But we’re ready to fight”.
Marcus Popp (Marmi Lanza Verona): “Cuneo is a very strong team but we have our chances, even though it’s not an advantage to play away from home. Anyway, we’ve had an excellent game last week and we can make it difficult for Cuneo too. They are in great form right now, but we’re not playing bad either, as we proved last Monday. We’re mentally fine too, we’ll go there with determination”.
SERIE A2 TIM
Santa Croce finds Roma in the way
Santa Croce’s first game as league leaders will not be an easy one. It hosts a Roma team that is in good shape, all the more so now that it has spiker Oro back. The team from the capital could become the ally of the other team from the Lazio region, as Latina could move up the table by beating Catania. The game between Isernia should be another tight and fascinating one. Bassano will try to get back on track against Cavriago; Castelfidardo and Città di Castello are both fighting to stay up. Their opponents of the day are no easy ones though, the first will face Mantova (live on Snai sat), while the second travels to Gioia del Colle. Finally, Castellana Grotte will try to catch up Bologna with a three-point victory.
SERIE A2 TIM 19th ROUND
Sunday 18 January at 6pm
Codyeco S.Croce – M. Roma Volley
(Pozzato – Falzoni)
Materdomini Volley.it Castellana Grotte – Wayel Bologna
(Bertogna – Modi)
Sp Catania – Andreoli Latina
(Cardaci – Goitre)
Olio Pignatelli Isernia – Samgas Crema
(Longo – Gini)
Nava Gioia del Colle – Gherardi Cartoedit Tratos C.di Castello
(Guarneri – Parlato)
Edilesse Cavriago – Bassano Volley
(Marchello – Cappello)
Sunday 18 January at 8.30pm
La Nef Castelfidardo – Canadiens Mantova DIRETTA SNAI SAT
(Puletti – Gentile)
Rested: Esse-ti Carilo Loreto
Table
Codyeco S.Croce 39, Andreoli Latina 37, Esse-ti Carilo Loreto, Bassano Volley* 36, Nava Gioia del Colle 30, Olio Pignatelli Isernia 29, Samgas Crema 26, Canadiens Mantova* 24, Wayel Bologna, M.Roma Volley* 23, Materdomini Volley.it Castellana Grotte 20, Edilesse Cavriago, Sp Catania 16, La Nef Castelfidardo 12, Gherardi Cartoedit Tratos C.di Castello 11 .
*Note: 1 game in hand
