A derby is always a derby, and Mantova versus Reggio Emilia, to be played Wednesday night at 8.30pm, certainly has its appeal.

“We are ready, but we are aware that it is a very tricky game – spiker Andrea Ippolito – Mantova is a tough team and the PalaBam a gym where it is not easy to play because of its particular dimension. We have maximum respect for them but we’ll go there without fear. We’ll play our game, the important thing is to come out of this with some points”.